Dapsone as Second-Line Treatment for Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus? A Retrospective Analysis of 34 Patients and a Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND A variety of therapeutic options have been reported for cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE); one of these is dapsone. However, no high priority has been given to this drug. OBJECTIVE To determine whether dapsone is an effective and safe treatment alternative in patients with LE. METHODS We reviewed the literature and analyzed retrospectively 34 CLE patients who were treated with dapsone as monotherapy or combined with antimalarials. We assessed the course of the disease under treatment, response, concomitant treatment and side effects. RESULTS Six patients went into remission, 14 patients improved, and in 6 patients disease remained constant during the observation period. Dapsone was discontinued in 9 patients: in 4 due to reversible side effects and in 5 patients due to poor efficacy. CONCLUSION Our data confirm that dapsone with/without antimalarials is effective in more than 50% of patients with CLE and could be used as second-line therapy for CLE.