Antimalarials are the first line in the treatment of chronic and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE). However, some patients show either no or only minor improvement on antimalarial monotherapy. We treated 14 patients (9 with chronic LE and 5 with subacute cutaneous LE) who had poorly responded to chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine with an association of chloroquine and quinacrine. The initial dose was: chloroquine 100 mg 3 × /day and quinacrine 65 mg 3 × /day. The skin lesions improved significantly or cleared totally in 5 of the 9 patients with chronic LE and in all the 5 patients with subacute cutaneous LE. These findings suggest that a chloroquine-quinacrine combination may sometimes be superior to the usual antimalarial monotherapy, especially for subacute LE. If chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine fails to control chronic or subacute cutaneous LE, chloroquine-quinacrine is worthy to be tried.

Keywords:
Lupus erythematosus, Antimalarials, Chloroquine, Quinacrine
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1994 S. Karger AG, Basel
1994
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.