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)
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