Etanercept in erythema nodosum leprosum

• Published in: Anais brasileiros de dermatología Vol. 92; no. 4; pp. 575 - 577
• Main Authors: Santos, Julia Rocha Silva, Vendramini, Dâmia Leal, Nery, José Augusto da Costa, Avelleira, João Carlos Regazzi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia 01.07.2017
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Communication; DERMATOLOGY; Erythema nodosum; Erythema Nodosum - drug therapy; Etanercept - therapeutic use; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Leprosy; Leprosy, Lepromatous - drug therapy; Male; Prednisone - therapeutic use; Thalidomide - therapeutic use; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Leprosy; Erythema nodosum; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha
• ISSN: 0365-0596; 1806-4841; 1806-4841; 0365-0596
• DOI: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20175471

One of the biggest challenges in treating leprosy is the control of reaction events. Patients with lepromatous leprosy may present reaction type II, or erythema nodosum leprosum, during treatment, and this reaction can remain in a recurrent form after being released from the hospital, requiring the use of thalidomide and/or prednisone for long periods of time, in turn increasing the risk of side effects. Two reports of the use of antiTNF to treat erythema nodosum leprosum were found in the literature. A good response was found after an assay with infliximab and etanercept. This study reports on a patient with lepromatous leprosy and recurrent reaction, controlled by using etanercept and a 10-month follow-up, with the interruption of thalidomide and the maintenance of prednisone at 10 mg/day.