Methotrexate Therapy in Cutaneous Sarcoidosis

Excerpt

To the Editor: Methotrexate, a commonly used antimetabolite in cancer chemotherapy, has also been used to treat various nonmalignant diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, and graft-versus-host disease, as well as skin diseases such as psoriasis and those seen in the Reiter syndrome (1, 2). Adverse reactions to methotrexate are occasionally seen, but less frequently than with other equally potent drugs (1-3).

We report the results of a trial of methotrexate therapy in three patients with refractory cutaneous sarcoidosis. Skin disease was long-standing and widespread, involving the trunk and extremities. Two patients had debilitating ulcerations, and two patients