Reactions 481 - 11 Dec 1993

★Interferon alpha 2B

First report of incomplete Reiter’s disease: casereport

Incomplete Reiter’s syndrome was diagnosed in a 45-year-old man 4 months after he commenced treatment for chronicactive hepatitis C with SC interferon-α2B [Intron-A®] 9 MU3-times weekly. A 6-month course of interferon-α2B 6 MU3-times weekly had previously been uneventful, but liverfunction abnormalities recurred 3 months later and treatmentwas restarted at 9 MU 3-times weekly.

The patient presented after 1 month’s therapy with malaise,myalgia and depression, and interferon-α2B was reduced to 6MU 3-times weekly. However, after 4 months’ treatment,keratoderma blennorrhagicum of the feet developed andcircinate balanitis and numerous psoriasis-like patches wereobserved. Histocompatibility tests were positive for HLA B27and skin biopsy specimens were consistent with pustularpsoriasis.

The man discontinued interferon-α2B, and after treatmentwith topical tar, salicylic acid and a steroid, his symptomsresolved within 4 weeks.

Author comment: ‘Reiter’s syndrome consists of arthritis,urethritis, conjunctivitis, and distinctive mucocutaneouslesions. However, less than one third of patients demonstrateall these findings and thus are frequently designated as havingincomplete Reiter’s syndrome . . . We present the first reportedcase of systemically administered interferon-α producing anincomplete form of Reiter’s syndrome.’Cleveland MG, et al. Incomplete Reiter’s syndrome induced by systemic interferonalpha treatment. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 29: 788-789,Part 1, Nov 1993 - USA 800236758

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Reactions 11 Dec 1993 No. 4810114-9954/10/0481-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved