Trimethoprim–sulphamethoxazole for the treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis

R. A. DeRemee

Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

SIR, I write this in response to the letter by S. Sangle et al. [1] appearing in the May issue of Rheumatology. They claim to report the first case of Wegener's granulomatosis confined to the upper respiratory tract successfully treated with trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole as the sole agent. They are in error. I would refer them to our seminal article on this subject that appeared in 1985 [2] and a subsequent extension of the experience 3 yr later [3]. Furthermore, the use of trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole for Wegener's granulomatosis has been widely publicized in various texts and articles since that time and there are numerous reports contained therein of successful monotherapy. Perhaps the best lesson of this report is that authors claiming priority ought to trace the literature back beyond citations appearing in the most recent publications. ‘Alas, O noble lord, how quickly doth the past recede; how blank appear thy many deeds no matter fair they be.’ (R. A. DeRemee)

Notes

E-mail: radrst{at}aol.com Back

References

  1. Sangle S, Karim MY, Hughes GRV et al. Sulphamethoxazole–trimethoprim in the treatment of limited paranasal Wegener's granulomatosis. Rheumatology 2002;41:589–90.[Free Full Text]
  2. DeRemee RA, McDonald TJ, Weiland LH. Wegener's granulomatosis: Observations on treatment with antimicrobial agents. Mayo Clin Proc 1985;60:27–32.[ISI][Medline]
  3. DeRemee RA. The treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole: illusion or vision? Arthritis Rheum 1988;31:1068–72.[ISI][Medline]
Accepted 6 August 2002





This Article
Full Text (PDF)
Alert me when this article is cited
Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Email this article to a friend
Similar articles in this journal
Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Similar articles in PubMed
Alert me to new issues of the journal
Add to My Personal Archive
Download to citation manager
Disclaimer
Request Permissions
Google Scholar
Articles by DeRemee, R. A.
PubMed
PubMed Citation
Articles by DeRemee, R. A.
Related Collections
Vasculitis