Description

Exposure to certain drugs can result in a scleroderma-like condition that usually is reversible upon discontinuation of the exposure.


 

Diagnostic features:

(1) absence of clinical features prior to exposure to a drug

(2) development of clinical and laboratory features following exposure to an implicated drug

(3) disappearance of clinical features after discontinuation of the exposure. Ideally a drug rechallenge is attempted to see if findings reappear but this is usually not performed.

(4) exclusion of other diagnoses that can explain the findings better

 

Clinical features:

(1) sclerodermatous patches

(2) poikiloderma

(3) acral sclerosis

(4) Raynaud's phenomenon

(5) eosinophilia-myalgia (with L-tryptophan)

 

Laboratory features may include:

(1) anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity

(2) other autoantibodies (anti-Scl-70, other)

 

Implicated drugs::

(1) L-tryptophan

(2) bleomycin

(3) fosinopril (an ACE inhibitor)

 

Other conditions to exclude:

(1) systemic sclerosis

(2) occupational scleroderma from vinly chloride or other chemical exposure (see above)

 


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