title: [Treatment of therapy-resistant acral ulcers with iloprost].
abstract: Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) develop often acral ulcers which are resistant to therapy and may result in gangrene and amputation. We investigated the effects of iloprost infusion on the acral ulcers and necrosis in patients with five patients with SSc and one with mixed connective tissue disease who had been previously treated with various modalities without improvement. All patients had Raynaud phenomenon, acral ulcers and necrosis. Iloprost 25 microg per day was administered intravenously daily over six hours for ten consecutive days. Eight weeks later all patients were treated with a second iloprost therapy cycle for five days. Two patients with severe ulceration received a third cycle until remission occurred. In all cases acral ulcers healed completely and no patient relapsed during an observation period of 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Hautklinik, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Schmiedeberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Artik
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Assmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megahed
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruzicka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016285:Iloprost / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016285:Iloprost