title: Intravenous immunoglobulins as treatment of severe cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa.
abstract: We describe three patients with severe refractory cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa, resulting in painful ulcers involving the lower limbs and causing toe necrosis. Due to the severity of the cutaneous manifestations, the three patients received intravenous immunoglobulins at a dose of 1 g/kg/day for 2 days monthly. After the second intravenous immunoglobulin infusion, skin signs dramatically improved and completely healed after the third intravenous immunoglobulin infusion. Our findings indicate that intravenous immunoglobulins can be included in a therapeutic strategy to treat refractory cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa.
authors.affiliation: Departmentsof Internal Medicine, CHU Rouen, Rouen Cedex, France. isabelle.marie@chu-rouen.fr
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Girszyn
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Soubrane
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vandhuick
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Levesque
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous