Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Thalidomide treatment of 11 patients

Eleven patients with severe, chloroquine-resistant chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus were treated with oral thalidomide. Seven patients responded with a complete remission, and two patients' conditions improved significantly. One patient did not respond well to therapy and another patient had to be withdrawn from the treatment trial because of side effects. Six patients, who relapsed after discontinuing thalidomide treatment, were re-treated with maintenance drug dosages and achieved good results with no further relapses or exacerbations. In all subjects the side effects from the thalidomide were minor and reversible.