Recurrent panniculitis in a man with asthma receiving treatment with leukotriene-modifying agents.

Leukotriene-modifying drugs are novel agents introduced recently to treat asthma. Both 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors, such as zileuton, and leukotriene receptor antagonists, such as zafirlukast and montelukast, have proved effective in the treatment of asthma. To our knowledge, there have been no detailed reports regarding dermatologic manifestations of this class of drugs. This article describes an unusual case of erythema nodosum in a 46-year-old asthmatic man who received 2 different leukotriene modifiers.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis in patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing immunosuppressive therapy: prealence and associated features.

Pneumocystis carini (PCP) has been recognized as a cause of pneumonia in immuocompromised patients, most notably in AIDS patients, but also in those receiving immunosuppressive therapy for a variety of other conditions, including malignancy, having an organ transplant, connective tissue diseases, and vasculitic syndromes. In non-HIV PCP patients, presentations may be more dramatic than in HIV-related PCP and the mortality may be higher, thus emphasizing the need to identify and provide prophylaxis for those at highest risk for PCP. The incidence of PCP varies in different rheumatic disorders, with the highest rated noted in Wegener's granulomatosis and the lowest noted in rheumatoid arthritis. Prophylactic regimens should be used in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis taking cyclophosphamide and daily corticosteroids and in other rheumatic disease patients who are treated with this regimen, such as in PAN, microscopic polyarteritis, or severe systemic lupus erythematosus. Prophylaxis should be strongly considered in patients taking prolonged, high doses of daily corticosteroids (>40mg/day for > 3 months) with a second immunosuppressive agent other than cyclophosphamide, such as methotrexate, for example, as in PM/DM and in alternative regimens for Wegener's granulomatosis. Emerging data suggest the utility of CD4 counts as a method to distinguish those at highest risk for PCP to selectively apply prophylactic therapy. TMP-SMX is the usual first choice for prohpylaxis.

Bilateral percutaneous balloon angioplasty of the axillary arteries in a patient with giant cell arteritis and upper extremity ischemic symptoms not responsive to corticosteroids.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is well known to present with protean manifestations. We describe a 68-year-old woman with persistent upper extremity ischemic symptoms despite adequate treatment for GCA. She underwent successful balloon angioplasty of bilateral axillary artery stenosis. To our knowledge this is the first case utilizing this technique in GCA. Our case highlights the rare but important circumstances under which interventional techniques both surgical and nonsurgical need to be considered in cases of GCA with arterial occlusion not responsive to corticosteroid therapy.