Methotrexate is a safe and effective treatment for paediatric discoid (nummular) eczema: a case series of 25 children

Abstract

We present a case series of 25 paediatric patients with refractory discoid eczema treated with methotrexate. Patients were commenced on either 5 mg or 10 mg of methotrexate per week. Sixteen patients (64%) completely cleared their eczema after an average of 10.5 months of methotrexate therapy. A further three patients (12%) have responded well and are almost clear at the time of writing. Methotrexate was well tolerated by the majority of patients and no serious adverse events were observed. Methotrexate should be considered in moderate to severe paediatric discoid eczema that has failed to respond to conventional therapies.