Tetracycline for the treatment of pityriasis lichenoides

Abstract

SUMMARY Thirteen cases of pityriasis lichenoides were treated with oral tetracycline. Five of them were completely cured, another seven had to continue to take 1 g/day. Addition of an antihistamine in one patient who did not respond to tetracycline gave a dramatic result. Throat swab cultures yielded coagulase positive staphylococci in four cases and other kinds of bacteria in many other cases. Based on the results of the treatment and histological findings, it is postulated that the pathogenesis of pityriasis lichenoides may be due to a hypersensitivity reaction to infectious agents.

Pityriasis lichenoides and its subtypes

“…82 Takahashi and Atsumi reported the resolution of histologically confirmed PLC after tonsillectomy in a patient with chronic tonsillitis. 83 Cultures of the excised tonsillar tissue grew Staphylococcus aureus, as well as group A b-hemolytic streptococci.…”

Tetracyclines: Nonantibiotic properties and their clinical implications

“…There have been isolated reports describing the effectiveness of tetracyclines in pyoderma gangrenosum, 59 hidradenitis suppurativa, 60 neutrophilic disease, 61 Sweet's syndrome, 62 a 1 -antitrypsin deficiency panniculitis, 63 and pityriasis lichenoides chronica. 64 Evaluation of larger numbers of patients in well-controlled studies is necessary before any conclusions can be drawn regarding the efficacy of tetracycline and its derivatives in the treatment of these conditions.…”

Pityriasis lichenoides in childhood: A retrospective review of 124 patients

“…Older studies supported an immune complex pathogenesis, 1,2 whereas more recent studies suggest that PL is a lymphoproliferative disorder, probably triggered by an antigenic stimulus, 3,4 such as a virus or other infectious agent. 5,6 PL has been regarded as a benign reactive process, but infrequent reports of PL evolving into cutaneous T-cell lymphoma 7,8 and detection of T-cell clonality 4 have led some to hypothesize that PL is at the benign end of a spectrum of lymphoproliferative diseases that includes lymphocytic malignancy.…”