Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological exercises. Case 30-2000. A 25-year-old man with asthma, cardiac failure, diarrhea, and weakness of the right hand

The leukotriene receptor antagonist Montelukast can induce adverse skin reactions in asthmatic patients

Montelukast the leukotriene receptor antagonist is an anti-inflammatory drug that causes bronchodilation and for this reason it is used to improve inflammatory states in asthma and allergic rhinitis. Montelukast is generally considered a safe drug with the occurrence of a few adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and anti-leucotrienes are usually well-tolerated by adults and young patients. Starting from these premises the purpose of this review is so give un up-to-date scenario about skin adverse reactions due to Montelukast administration. Only few cases were reported during last years, however interestingly some recent reports let us enlarging our ADR data about Montelukast. We decided to divide the paragraph into sections evaluating the following skin lesions: vasculitic lesions, rash, urticaria and angioedema. As described in the results, CSS were the most frequent cases reported, belonging to the Vasculitis category. We speculated several mechanisms leading to the spread of the skin reactions. Montelukast still remains a safe drug used for the treatment of severe and moderate asthma. However, for some reasons still in course of analysis, in rare cases patients could develop ADR. Among these, about half of the patients show skin signs as rash, vescicles, bullous skin, purpura, maculopapular cutis, erythematous exanthema, urticaria and angioedema. Most of these symptoms are a consequence of the onset of a vasculitis as CSS and allergic granulomatous angiitis. In many cases the onset of the reactions happen within the first months of intake. For this reason, the prescribing physicians should be alert for signs, symptoms and genetic predisposition of these skin diseases.

The linkage between Churg-Strauss syndrome and leukotriene receptor antagonists: fact or fiction?

Epidemiologic evidence has shown that the worldwide prevalence of asthma is increasing. The leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) represent a new class of therapy for asthma. They have been developed in the last decade and play a pivotal steroid-sparing role in treating the inflammatory component of asthma. Consequently, reports of Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), a rare form of systemic vasculitis, have been recognized as a potential side effect in individuals with moderate to severe asthma on LTRA therapy. The serious nature of this disorder is worthy of prompt recognition by clinicians and aggressive therapy to avoid the subsequent longstanding effects of vasculitis. To validate the postulated linkage between the LTRAs and CSS, this review comprehensively evaluates reported cases in the literature and supports a pathophysiological relationship between the LTRAs and the development of CSS.

Asthma associated with worsening leg ulcer: a case of vasculitis in primary care

A 71-year-old black woman was admitted to the hospital with a 2-month history of a nonhealing leg ulcer. Her medical history included diabetes mellitus type 2, congestive heart failure, allergic rhinitis, and asthma. The patient's asthma was labile and steroid-dependent until 2 years before admission, at which time zafirlukast therapy was started. On further questioning, the patient revealed a 6-month history of malaise and a 40-lb weight loss. A physical examination showed a 2-cm Stage 3 ulcer on the medial aspect of the right ankle with diminished sensation in both feet and left footdrop. Electromyography revealed mononeuritis multiplex. The patient's white blood cell count was 11,100/mm3 with 60% eosinophils. A sural nerve biopsy showed vasculitis consistent with Churg-Strauss syndrome. One week after prednisone therapy was initiated, the patient's foot strength was nearly normal and her eosinophilia had resolved. Although Churg-Strauss syndrome is a rare disorder, in the setting of asthma and multiple disparate signs and symptoms, the broad diagnostic category of serious vasculitic illness should be considered.

Drug-induced vasculitis

Many therapeutic agents, including recently introduced biologic response modifiers, can induce a variety of vasculitic manifestations ranging from small vessel hypersensitivity vasculitis and leukocytoclastic vasculitis to distinct vasculitic syndromes such as Wegener's granulomatosis, polyarteritis nodosa, and Churg Strauss syndrome. The pathogenic mechanisms remain to be defined and appear to be multifactorial, with cell-mediated and humural immune mechanisms playing important roles. Clinical presentation varies in severity from mild to severe and even fatal illness, can be self-limiting, or follows a more chronic protracted course. There are no significant differences in clinical presentation, serologic abnormalities, and pathologic findings with the idiopathic forms of vasculitis. However, it is extremely important to identify the offending drug because the discontinuation of the drug is often followed by a rapid improvement of the underlying vasculitic disorder.

Leukotriene antagonists and the Churg-Strauss syndrome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Leukotriene antagonists (LTAs), or antileukotrienes, are a new group of anti-inflammatory drugs used for the treatment of asthma. They might substitute for or allow tapering of corticosteroids in asthmatic patients. These drugs have been associated with the development of Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), a rare form of vasculitic angiitis. It is unclear whether the development of CSS is a direct drug effect or an unmasking of a preexisting condition on withdrawal of steroids for asthma. We present a case of CSS in a patient treated with montelukast and review the literature to analyze the association between LTAs and the development of CSS.

METHOD

We reviewed the literature using MEDLINE from February 1966 to October 2000. To the cases identified, we present an additional case of a patient who underwent a diagnostic lung biopsy.

RESULTS

Twenty-two case reports of patients receiving LTAs who developed CSS were identified. The onset of CSS occurred 2 days to 10 months after starting treatment with LTAs. All patients had received inhaled or oral steroids for asthma. The interval between the last oral corticosteroid treatment and CSS onset ranged from 3 days to 8 months.

CONCLUSIONS

To date, there is no compelling evidence that the development of CSS in asthmatic patients receiving LTAs results from a direct drug effect. Rather, it appears that tapering of corticosteroids in these patients unmasks the multiorgan manifestations of the disease. We believe that the use of LTAs should not be influenced by the apparent increase in the incidence of CSS and that these are still safe drugs for asthma.