Chronic eczematous eruptions of the elderly are associated with chronic exposure to calcium channel blockers: results from a case-control study.

Abstract

It has been suggested that chronic eczematous eruptions of the elderly could be associated with chronic drug exposure. To determine the drugs associated with these eruptions, we conducted a case-control study on 102 cases and 204 controls. Cases were consecutive patients older than 60 years presenting with an eczematous eruption that had evolved continuously or recurrently for more than 3 months without a reliable cause. Two controls were matched to each case on age, sex, in/outpatient origin, and center. Information about drug exposure was obtained from patients and their pharmacists. Drug use for more than 3 months within the year preceding the eruption was compared between cases and controls. An association was found between calcium channel blockers (CCB) and eczema, with a matched OR (odds ratio) of 2.5 (95% CI (confidence interval): 1.3-4.6). To ascertain the course of patients after CCB withdrawal, two ancillary studies were performed on 74 patients with eczematous eruptions from our department before the case-control study period, and on 101 patients registered in the French "Pharmacovigilance" database. Healing of these eruptions after CCB withdrawal occurred in 83 and 68% of these cases, respectively. The long-term use of CCB is a risk factor for chronic eczematous eruptions of the elderly.

• Authors: Pascal Joly, Cloe Benoit-Corven, Sophie Baricault, Audrey Lambert, Marie F Hellot, Véronique Josset, Annick Barbaud, Philippe Courville, Emmanuel Delaporte, Evelyne Collet, Priscille Carvalho, Anne B Modeste-Duval, Jean P Lacour, Marie H L'Anthoën-Arditi, Christian Thuillez, Jacques Benichou
• Journal: The Journal of investigative dermatology (J Invest Dermatol) Vol. 127 Issue 12 Pg. 2766-71 (Dec 2007) ISSN: 1523-1747 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 17713574 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Calcium Channel Blockers

Topics

• Aged
• Biopsy
• Calcium Channel Blockers (therapeutic use)
• Case-Control Studies
• Chronic Disease
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Odds Ratio
• Risk Factors
• Skin (pathology)
• Skin Diseases, Eczematous (diagnosis, etiology)
• Time Factors