Background:

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an immunomodulatory role in a variety of systemic and dermatologic disease. Its blockade can be achieved by using specific inhibitors like etanercept. At present, etanercept is approved for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and psoriasis treatment. However, it has been used with promising results in other inflammatory dermatoses. Etanercept treatment have been reported in the following dermatologic diseases: sarcoidosis, hidradenitis suppurativa, acne vulgaris, cicatricial pemphigoid, pemphigus vulgaris, Hailey-Hailey disease, Behçet’ s disease, oral aphthous stomatitis, pyoderma gangrenosum, multicentric reticulohistiocytosis, apthous stomatitis, Sneddon-Wilkinson disease, acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau, SAPHO syndrome, pityriasis rubra pilaris, vitiligo, necrobiosis lipoidica, silicone granulomas, Sweet’s syndrome, atopic dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, toxic epidermal necrolysis, alopecia areata, centrifugal annular erythema, primary amyloidosis, erythroderma-related pruritus in Sézary syndrome, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus, excessive scarring, postherpetic neuralgia, dermatomyositis, vasculitis, lupus erythematosus, and scleroderma. The vast majority of these reports are in the form of individual case reports and small case series. A growing number of published reports suggest that etanercept treatment may be effective in the treatment of numerous inflammatory skin disease outside their currently approved indications.

Keywords: Etanercept, off-label treatment