Successful Treatment of Severe Subcorneal Pustular Dermatosis with Adalimumab

Abstract

Jiaoquan Chen,* Yuwu Luo,* Nanji Yu, Yan Yang, Xin Zhou, Shujuan Zhang, Qianru Ye, Huilan Zhu Department of Dermatology, Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Huilan Zhu, Department of Dermatology Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology 56 Hengfu Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Subcorneal pustular dermatosis (SPD) is a rare, chronic pustular dermatosis. The pathogenesis of SPD has not been fully elucidated, but some studies have found that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α may be associated with its pathogenesis. Some patients with multidrug-resistant SPD have improved significantly after treatment with the anti-TNF-α agent (adalimumab). We present a case of a 28-year-old female with severe SPD who responded rapidly to adalimumab (80mg/week) in combination with acitretin and methylprednisolone within a week. With adalimumab (40 mg next week and followed by 40mg every two weeks) and gradually ceasing other systemic medication, the patient’s condition continued to improve without relapse or side effects. The outcome of this case suggests that adalimumab might be an effective treatment option against multidrug-resistant SPD.Keywords: subcorneal pustular dermatosis, anti-TNF-α agent, adalimumab

Keywords

• subcorneal pustular dermatosis
• anti-tnf-α agent
• adalimumab