ZIDOVUDINE IN HIV-NEGATIVE PITYRIASIS-RUBRA-PILARIS

Three cases of classical type I pityriasis ruba pilaris (PRP) treated with zidovudine (AZT) are reported. All three patients were healthy an d did not have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Recently seven cases of PRP associated with HIV infection have been described, although they showed many atypical features. The PRP improved in four of the patients treated with zidovudine. This study was undertaken to see whether classical PRP not associated with HIV infection is improve d by zidovudine. The zidovudine had little effect; one patient showed early but unsustained improvement, one deteriorated and the other show ed no change. Further research into PRP and other papulosquamous disor ders associated with HIV infections, and into retroviral agents may ne vertheless allow greater insight into the aetiology and treatment of P RP.