Study Finds Skin Lesions Troublesome For Patients Taking Anti-TNF Drugs

A study done in Belgium found that skin lesions caused 34% of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who were receiving anti—tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α) therapy to discontinue their medication. A total of 85 patients were included in the retrospective study -- 24 with a personal history of inflammatory skin lesions, and 15 with a family history of inflammatory skin disease. Of the 85, 69 experienced the skin lesions while taking one of three anti-TNF-α drugs: Remicade (infliximab), Humira (adalimumab), or Cimzia (certolizumab).

Patients in the study received topical therapy for the skin lesions, which resulted in remission for 41 of the 69 patients. Ultimately, 15 patients stopped anti-TNF-α therapy because of the lesions.

Skin lesions, such as pyoderma gangrenosum and erythema nodosum are a fairly common complication of IBD. The authors recommend that patients who have such lesions seek therapy with a dermatologist for proper management.

More about skin conditions and IBD:

• Pyoderma Gangrenosum
• Erythema Nodosum

_Source:

_{Rahier JF, Buche S, Peyrin-Biroulet L, Bouhnik Y, et al. "Severe Skin Lesions Cause Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease to Discontinue Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy." Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2010 Dec;8:1048-1055. Epub 2010 Aug 20. 9 Jan 2011.}