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      Drugs & Diseases > Dermatology

      Dermatitis Herpetiformis Treatment & Management

      Updated: Jun 14, 2023
      • Author: Jami L Miller, MD; Chief Editor: Dirk M Elston, MD  more...
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      Treatment

      Medical Care

      A retrospective study has shown remission, defined as 2 years with no symptoms, in 12% of patients. [50] When dermatitis herpetiformis is well-controlled, attempts can be made to taper off dapsone and perhaps attempt a diet with gluten. Although sulfapyridine is no longer available in the United States, sulfasalazine may be prescribed. Sulfasalazine is partly metabolized to sulfapyridine. Sulfasalazine has been used by itself or in combination with dapsone. [51]

      Other, less effective treatments for dermatitis herpetiformis include colchicine, cyclosporine, azathioprine, heparin and prednisone. [46] Ultraviolet light may provide some symptomatic relief. The combination of tetracycline and niacinamide has been reported to successfully treat it. Cyclosporine should be used with caution in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis because of a potential increase in the risk of developing intestinal lymphomas. Because it is an antibody-induced autoimmune disease, therapies aimed at removal of the antibodies may be helpful; rituximab and intravenous immunoglobulin may be helpful in particularly severe cases not improved by other medications that are less expensive and carry fewer adverse effects. [52]

      One case report described resolution of dermatitis herpetiformis after initiation of the Atkins diet. [53]

      NSAIDs may exacerbate dermatitis herpetiformis. [54]

      Iodides may elicit or exacerbate dermatitis herpetiformis.

      Topical anti-inflammatory medications may also be helpful.  Potent topical steroids (clobetasol, betamethasone, etc) may help with itch. Topical dapsone 5% gel has been reported to be helpful in combination with a gluten-free diet [55] .  

      Next:

      Consultations

      Consider consultation with a gastroenterologist for evaluation and for recommendations regarding gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE).

      Consult with a dietitian regarding patients who are modifying dietary intake to avoid gluten or who are instituting an elemental diet.

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      Diet

      Dietary intake of gluten causes the disease, and elimination of gluten from the diet improves it.

      A position statement by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute advises that treatment for patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, like that of all patients with celiac disease, requires a strict, lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. The AGA stresses the importance of patient education, motivation, and support in maintaining adherence, and recommends consultation with an experienced dietician, referral to a support group, and clinical follow up for compliance, as well as treatment of nutritional deficiency states. [56]

      Most patients (as many as 80%) who can maintain a gluten-free diet respond with control of their skin disease. Some patients are able to discontinue dapsone therapy. Compliance with a gluten-free diet is difficult and requires a motivated patient, and the best treatment response occurs with absolute gluten restriction in the diet.

      Strict dietary vigilance may be required for 5-12 months before the dapsone dose can be reduced.

      Maintaining a gluten-free diet is the only sustainable method of eliminating the disease, not only from the skin, but also from the GI mucosa.

      Patients on a gluten-reduced diet may experience a decrease in symptoms; therefore, such a diet can reduce the dosage of dapsone required for disease control.

      Neither IgA deposition nor circulating antibodies correlate with gluten intake in short-duration studies; however, some studies have suggested a correlation with complement deposition. Avoidance of dietary gluten for 10 years or more has resulted in loss of cutaneous IgA deposits, which then return upon reinstitution of gluten in the diet.

      Elemental diets may improve the disease within weeks. [57, 58] These diets consist of free amino acids, small amounts of triglycerides, and short-chain polysaccharides; they are marketed by pharmaceutical companies. One report has suggested that this improvement may be independent of gluten ingestion; however, this finding has not been confirmed. [58]

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