Rapid improvement of psoriasis vulgaris during drug-induced agranulocytosis

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2000 Aug;43(2 Pt 2):391-5. doi: 10.1067/mjd.2000.103264.

Abstract

The role of neutrophils in psoriasis has long been discussed. We report a patient with long-standing psoriasis vulgaris who showed rapid improvement during agranulocytosis caused by ticlopidine. The patient did not develop any new psoriatic lesions for several days, although neutrophils increased daily after the administration of ticlopidine was stopped. The day after the peripheral blood neutrophil count recovered, several psoriatic plaques reappeared. The correlation of psoriatic activity with peripheral blood neutrophil counts suggests that a certain number of neutrophils may be required to initiate and maintain psoriasis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Agranulocytosis / chemically induced*
  • Agranulocytosis / immunology
  • Agranulocytosis / pathology
  • Biopsy
  • Cerebral Infarction / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Male
  • Neutrophils / drug effects
  • Neutrophils / immunology
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / adverse effects*
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Psoriasis / immunology*
  • Psoriasis / pathology
  • Remission, Spontaneous
  • Skin / pathology
  • Ticlopidine / adverse effects*
  • Ticlopidine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
  • Ticlopidine