title: Eosinophilic fasciitis: demographics, disease pattern and response to treatment: report of 12 cases and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eosinophilic fasciitis is a rare scleroderma-like illness. The clinical spectrum of the disease has evolved since its initial description.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified all patients diagnosed with eosinophilic fasciitis over the past 10 years at our scleroderma clinic. Demographics, disease pattern, serologies, tissue pathology and reponse to treatment were all recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve patients with eosinophilic fasciitis were identified in our clinic over the past 10 years. The mean age at diagnosis was 49.8 +/- 9.8 years, with nine female and three male patients. The first symptoms were noticed at an average of 8.8 +/- 6.1 months before diagnosis. The mean initial absolute peripheral blood eosinophil count was 1188 +/- 1059 cells/L. Two patients had a monoclonal gammopathy, and two had positive ANA titers. All patients received corticosteroids, 10 of whom received the equivalent dose of > 20 mg/day of prednisone for more than a month. Five patients received hydroxychloroquine, two received methotrexate, one received cyclosporine, one received topical tacrolimus, and one received sulfasalazine. At a mean follow up of 17.6 months (range 2-94 months), 8 patients had a good response to treatment, 2 patients had no effect, and 2 patients had a poor response to treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High dose corticosteroid treatment lasting longer than a month with or without an immunosuppressive agent helped most patients with eosinophilic fasciitis, best results seen in those patients who were initiated treatment early on after their first symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia PA, 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bischoff
authors.forename: Chris T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Derk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004804:Eosinophils; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents