Delayed eczematous skin reaction as an adverse drug reaction to immunoglobulin infusions: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Pompholyx and eczematous reactions are known adverse reactions to intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) infusion, but little is known about their clinical characteristics, associated outcomes and management. OBJECTIVE: To describe IVIg-induced eczematous skin reactions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on cases of delayed skin reactions post-IVIg infusion notified to the French Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre from 1985 to 2020. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients were identified, of whom 85% were male. IVIg infusions were given in a neurological indication in 82% of cases. Eczematous skin reactions occurred in two-thirds of cases after the first infusion, with a median time to onset of 11 days. Palmoplantar pompholyx was the most common presentation, being seen in 63% of patients. Other eruptions were erythemato-squamous or maculopapular. Eight patients were classified as severely affected and developed extensive lesions (>50% BSA). One third of the 27 patients required hospitalization. All of the severe eczematous reactions involved males receiving high doses of IVIg for neurological diseases. Biopsies of severe cases revealed a common non-specific eczematous pattern. Relapses were frequent and more severe than the initial reaction. Reintroduction of the same IVIg product consistently resulted in relapse, whereas switching IVIg type produced relapse in only 53% of patients. CONCLUSION: We present the largest retrospective study of delayed skin reactions after IVIg infusions. This side-effect may be severe and have a polymorphic presentation. Relapse occurs frequently but less consistently after IVIg switch.

Treatment of Eosinophilic Annular Erythema: Retrospective multicenter study and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic annular erythema (EAE) is a rare eosinophil-related skin disease which typically manifests with annular erythematous plaques and severe pruritus. Besides the diagnosis, the treatment of EAE is challenging since relevant published data are sparse. METHODS: The aim of this study was to assess the underlying diseases, treatments and outcomes of patients with EAE. To this end, we conducted a retrospective multicenter study and a systematic review of the MEDLINE database. RESULTS: We included 18 patients with EAE followed in 8 centers. The MEDLINE database search yielded 37 relevant publications reporting 55 cases of EAE with 106 treatment sequences. The most common and efficient treatments included topical or systemic corticosteroids, hydroxychloroquine and dapsone. In refractory patients, a combination of systemic corticosteroids with hydroxychloroquine was associated with 88% of complete clinical response. DISCUSSION: To improve the management of EAE patients, we discuss the following treatment strategy: in topical steroid-resistant patients, hydroxychloroquine can be given as first-line systemic treatment. Dapsone, hydroxychloroquine or systemic corticosteroids are second-line options to consider. Last, monoclonal antibodies or JAK inhibitors targeting type 2 inflammation could represent promising last-resort options in refractory patients.