Comparison of Hydroxychloroquine and Methotrexate in tTreatment of Patients with Localized Scleroderma

Abstract

Backgrounds and Objectives: Localized sclerodermia is an inflammatory cutaneous disease with certain clinical presentations that primarily affects derma and subcutaneous adipose tissue and causes scar like sclerosis. Many different treatments have been recommended till now which most of them was upon case studies or with no control or limited number of patients. Materials and Methods: In a double blind randomized clinical trial, we studied 30 patients with localized sclerodermia who achieved inclusion criterias in the form of two groups (group A under treatment with methotrexate and group B under treatment with hydroxychlroquine, 15 patients in each group) stiffness of the skin and pruritus Was evaluated in the week 4, 8 and 12 examinations and all the data from patients was analyzed with appropriate analytical tests. Results: In our study, 9(36%) of patients was male and 16 (64%) was female. The mean age of the patients was 36.8±13.5 yrs. Patients were at the age range of 13 yrs to 74 yrs. Mean MSS score for patients in methotrexate groiup before the intervention was 12.3±3.7 that decreased to 7.2±2.8.this number in the hydroxichlroquin group decreased from 10.7±4.1 to 7.7±3.4 and there was a significant difference between two groups analytically. The VAS regarding to stiffness of skin and cutaneous involvement before and after the treatment was significantly different (P=0.0001). Conclusion: With regard to minimal increase in liver enzymes in patients under treatment with methotrexate it can be resulted that both methotrexate and hydroxychlroquin is effective in reducing pruritus, skin hardness in patients with localizes sclerodermia and none of them is not preffered too each other.

Keywords: Hydroxychlroquin, Localized sclerodermia, Methotrexate