title: Successful treatment of recalcitrant psoriasis with a combination of infliximab and hydroxyurea.
abstract: We report the use of a combination of the tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) inhibitor infliximab and hydroxyurea to achieve control of disabling psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Our patient had psoriasis that proved resistant to conventional therapy including vitamin D analogues, topical steroids, dithranol, crude coal tar, narrow band UVB, bath PUVA and acitretin. She subsequently responded to hydroxyurea 1 g daily combined with infliximab infusions repeated at three monthly intervals which led to satisfactory control of her psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. She has not reported any side-effects from this treatment regimen and her full blood count has remained normal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK. asia@jgach.freeserve.co.uk
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gach
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berth-Jones
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069285:Infliximab; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000069285:Infliximab; D006918:Hydroxyurea