Disseminated granuloma annulare: efficacy of cyclosporine therapy.

ABSTRACT

Granuloma annulare is an anatomo-clinical entity that is frequently encountered in everyday dermatological practice. We report our experience regarding 4 patients with disseminated granuloma annulare. Each patient was treated with a cycle of cyclosporine therapy for six weeks. A cycle of systemic cyclosporine therapy was started at a dose of 4 mg/kg/day for four weeks, subsequently reduced by 0.5 mg/kg/day every two weeks. The clinical picture more or less completely resolved within three weeks in all of the patients, and there were no relapses during the dose-tapering period or the following 12 months. Cyclosporine was optimally tolerated by all four patients, none of whom experienced any therapy-related side effects. Cyclosporine is a valid therapeutic option for the treatment of disseminated granuloma annulare, although we recommend its use in a protected hospital environment that facilitates patient monitoring.