[Disulon in the treatment of Horton's disease. Experience with 20 patients]

Disulon (Dapsone) was used in 20 patients with Horton's disease, with the object of reducing steroid therapy. In a retrospective series, Dapsone was prescribed in 12 patients with severe complications of steroid therapy; it was possible to reduce the dose of steroids by about 50 p. 100 in under 3 months without causing a flare-up of the disease. In a prospective series of 8 patients, Dapsone was given at the outset with Prednisone; the results were compared with a control series of 8 patients--the dose of steroids could be reduced earlier, the total duration of steroid therapy was shorter, and the total dose of steroids was lower. The main side effect of Dapsone is haemolysis which may give rise to anaemia, the severity of which is usually dose-dependent. A daily dosage of 75 to 100 mg would seem to provide a good compromise between the anti-inflammatory and haemolytic effects. Dapsone should always be given in association with steroids in the treatment of temporal arteritis; a closer biological surveillance of patients treated with association is necessary.