PEDIATRICS Vol. 103 No. 6 June 1999, pp. 1295-1297
EXPERIENCE AND REASON:
Thalidomide Responsiveness in an Infant With Behçet's
Syndrome
Received May 7, 1998; accepted Nov 25, 1998.
, and
* Departments of Pediatrics and
Pathology
National University of Singapore
Singapore 119074
Division of Pediatric Rheumatology Hospital for Special Surgery, New York 10021
Background. Behçet's syndrome is a chronic relapsing vasculitis characterized by aphthous stomatitis, genital ulcerations, and uveitis. The disease is a multisystem illness, which may involve the skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, central nervous system, and other organs.
Case Study. We report a case of an infant with features of Behçet's syndrome who did not respond to conventional immunosuppression with high-dose corticosteroids and cytotoxic agents. Thalidomide, a potent immune response-modifying drug, was used with marked improvement and resolution of symptoms.
Conclusion. This finding supports a trial of thalidomide treatment in patients with Behçet's syndrome who are unresponsive to other forms of immunosuppressive therapy or develop undesirable side effects. Key words: vasculitis, mouth ulcers, Behçet's syndrome, thalidomide.
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