Extended extracorporeal photochemotherapy with extracorporeal administration of 8-methoxypsoralen in systemic sclerosis. An Austrian single-center study

Background: Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (EXP) is an immunomodulating therapy that has been used in a limited number of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSC) with controversial results. The present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended EXP with extracorporeal application of liquid 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) in the treatment of SSC, Methods: Eleven women with progressive SSC of recent onset mere treated for a period of 16-57 months. Skin. changes, physical performance, extracutaneous manifestations, and quality of life mere evaluated before initiation of EXP and at regular intervals thereafter. Results: From the start to the last set of EXP, we observed an overall, improvement and/or stabilization of skin changes and physical performance in 5 of 11 patients (45%). Extracutaneous manifestations deteriorated in 10 of 11 patients (91%) (

Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in an 11-year-old girl

We report a case of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in an 11-year-old girl living in an area endemic for Lyme borreliosis. The diagnosis was first made on the basis of clinical, histopathological and serological findings, Moreover, Borrelia burgdorferi-specific DNA was amplified from lesional skin by polymerase chain reaction, Intravenous treatment with ceftriaxone (2 g once daily) for 2 weeks was initiated, The skin changes clearly responded to the therapy, and Borrelia burgdorferi-specific gene segments were no longer detectable by polymerase chain reaction. This is the first report of molecular-proven acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in childhood, The occurrence of this late skin manifestation of Lyme borreliosis in children is reviewed