Alopecia areata and relapsing polychondritis or mosaic autoimmunity? The first experience of co-trimoxazole treatment.
A 13 year old girl presented with auricular chondritis and recurrent episodes of unexplained chest pain, arthritis, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, prolonged steroid resistant alopecia areata, and a history of recurrent tonsillitis. Both the mosaic of autoimmunity and relapsing polychondritis were considered in the differential diagnosis. The patient was successfully treated with co-trimoxazole. The significance of co-trimoxazole, which is an antibiotic and an immunomodulatory drug, in the treatment of autoimmune disease is discussed.
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The B Shine Department of Rheumatology, Rambam Medical Centre and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. nahir@rambam.health.gov.il
Schapira
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Bergman
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D000293:Adolescent; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination