1. ¹Department of Dermatology, Inserm U519, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
2. ²Department of Biostatistics Inserm U657, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
3. ³Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
4. ⁴Department of Dermatology, Nancy University Hospital, Nancy, France
5. ⁵Department of Pathology, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
6. ⁶Department of Dermatology, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France
7. ⁷Department of Dermatology, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
8. ⁸Department of Dermatology, Nice University Hospital, Nice, France
9. ⁹Continuous Medical Education Association of Dermatologists from Haute Normandie, Haute Normandie, France
10. ¹⁰Department of Pharmacology Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France

Correspondence: Professor Pascal Joly, Clinique Dermatologique, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 1, rue de Germont, Rouen Cedex 76031, France. E-mail: Pascal.Joly@chu-rouen.fr

Received 24 January 2007; Revised 16 May 2007; Accepted 16 June 2007; Published online 23 August 2007.

Abstract

It has been suggested that chronic eczematous eruptions of the elderly could be associated with chronic drug exposure. To determine the drugs associated with these eruptions, we conducted a case–control study on 102 cases and 204 controls. Cases were consecutive patients older than 60 years presenting with an eczematous eruption that had evolved continuously or recurrently for more than 3 months without a reliable cause. Two controls were matched to each case on age, sex, in/outpatient origin, and center. Information about drug exposure was obtained from patients and their pharmacists. Drug use for more than 3 months within the year preceding the eruption was compared between cases and controls. An association was found between calcium channel blockers (CCB) and eczema, with a matched OR (odds ratio) of 2.5 (95% CI (confidence interval): 1.3–4.6). To ascertain the course of patients after CCB withdrawal, two ancillary studies were performed on 74 patients with eczematous eruptions from our department before the case–control study period, and on 101 patients registered in the French "Pharmacovigilance" database. Healing of these eruptions after CCB withdrawal occurred in 83 and 68% of these cases, respectively. The long-term use of CCB is a risk factor for chronic eczematous eruptions of the elderly.