Bisphosphonates for the Treatment of Calcinosis Cutis-A Retrospective Single-Center Study.
Biomedicines
; 9(11)2021 Nov 16.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34829927
ABSTRACT
(1) Background:
Calcinosis cutis is a frequent symptom of autoimmune connective tissue diseases leading to pain, transcutaneous expulsion of calcified material and bacterial superinfection. There is a high need for new therapeutic options as no standardized treatment algorithm is established. While case reports indicate beneficial effects of bisphosphonates, standardized evaluation of treatment effects is missing. (2)Methods:
In this retrospective analysis we evaluate the effects of intravenous pamidronate, a second-generation bisphosphonate, in seven patients with calcinosis cutis using consecutive clinical pictures, radiological examinations and patient's subjective evaluation. (3)Results:
5/6 patients reported a reduction of pain, improvement of general condition and cessation of calcinosis progression. Regression of skin lesions was detectable in clinical pictures of 2/6 patients, while 1/6 patients had stable disease. Radiological examination revealed improvement or stable disease in 3/5 patients. Fever was the most common side effect. One out of seven patients developed osteonecrosis of the jaw. (4)Conclusions:
Bisphosphonates appear to have beneficial effects in a subgroup of calcinosis cutis patients. While patient's subjective evaluation was mainly positive, objective assessments showed improvement in approximately half of the cases. With regard to potential severe side effects, a careful risk-benefit evaluation is necessary before treatment initiation.
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Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudio:
Risk_factors_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biomedicines
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Alemania