Skin disorders with prominent eosinophilic infiltration treated successfully with nicotine. Report of two cases.
BACKGROUND
Nicotine was effective in the treatment of skin disorders attributable to neutrophils such as pyoderma gangrenosum and orogenital ulcerations due to Behçet's disease.


OBJECTIVE
We assessed the efficacy of nicotine for treating skin disorders with prominent eosinophilic infiltration.


METHODS
A 67-year-old man with Kimura's disease was treated for 2 weeks with nicotine chewing gum (6 mg/day). A 50-year-old woman with erythema nodosum with eosinophilic infiltration was treated for 4 weeks with transdermal nicotine patches (5 mg/day).


RESULTS
Both patients showed a dramatic clinical and histopathological improvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that nicotine may be useful for treating skin disorders with eosinophilic infiltration as well as neutrophilic dermatoses.
Kanekura
Takuro
T
Department of Dermatology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan. takurok@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Usuki
Kazunari
K
Kanzaki
Tamotsu
T
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D000796:Angiolymphoid Hyperplasia with Eosinophilia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002638:Chewing Gum; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002638:Chewing Gum; D009538:Nicotine