Cyclosporin treatment of atopic dermatitis: is it really associated with infectious diseases?

BACKGROUND Patients with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) can benefit from cyclosporin (CSA) treatment. Some studies reported that CSA can cause infectious diseases as side effects. OBJECTIVE To investigate the possible association of CSA treatment in AD patients with infectious diseases. METHODS We performed a case-controled study on 202 patients with AD, 101 of whom were taking CSA and 101 who were not. Retrospective medical record review was held, and the incidence of infectious disease in both groups was compared. RESULTS The total number of infectious diseases in the CSA group was slightly lower than in control group but that was not statistically significant. Similarly, the incidence density was almost the same in the two groups. In both groups, eczema herpeticum was the most common infection. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that CSA therapy in AD does not increase the incidence of infectious disease.