Use of hydroxychloroquine in dermatology: A multicenter retrospective study in Korea

Despite the expanding clinical application of hydroxychloroquine in dermatology, the overall data on hydroxychloroquine use among dermatologists are limited. With retrospective review of the medical records of the 790 patients who were prescribed hydroxychloroquine, we classified the diagnoses into 12 disease categories, the lupus erythematosus group being the largest. The lupus erythematosus group had the longest prescription duration (median, 6.2 months), whereas the photodermatitis group had a significantly shorter prescription duration (median, 0.5 months). The overall good response rate was 77.1%. The photodermatitis group had the best response (88.7%), followed by the lupus panniculitis (85.1%) and lichen planus (84.4%). In conclusion, hydroxychloroquine has proven utility for various inflammatory skin diseases, including but not limited to cutaneous lupus erythematosus.