Successful treatment of long-standing neuro-Behçet's disease with infliximab.

Behçet's disease is a chronic relapsing form of vasculitis affecting multiple organs. Central nervous system involvement is a common presentation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is considered to play a major role in the disease pathogenesis. We describe a patient with a long history of neuro-Behçet's disease who showed a remarkable response to infliximab therapy. Given the variable and limited success of other interventions, the use of anti-TNF-alpha therapy seems to be effective for patients with refractory disease.

Scleroderma renal crisis following widespread application of topical triamcinolone.

A 52-year-old patient with early diffuse scleroderma (Scl) developed scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) following exposure to topical steroid cream. She had applied a larger-than-prescribed quantity of triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% cream all over her body for 3 months, the absorption of the cream being the equivalent of 7.5 mg of oral prednisone per day. Her SRC was subsequently managed successfully with aggressive antihypertensive therapy and hemodialysis, and she was discharged home. High-dose corticosteroids (CS) have long been implicated in the development of SRC, but topical and low-dose CS until now have not. In our opinion, low-dose CS and a predisposing clinical setting appeared sufficient to provoke SRC and may broaden the proscription against CS in Scl.