DOI: 10.12890/2025_005743

Janus kinase inhibitors as a breakthrough treatment for refractory dissecting cellulitis of the scalp

Authors

  • Ali Al-Mamoori Department of Dermatology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq
  • Sajjad Ghanim Awad Al-Badri College of Medicine, University of Warith Al-Anbiyaa, Karbala, Iraq
  • Sabry Babiker H. Sayed Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, International University of Africa, Khartoum, Sudan
  • Wael Al-Daraji Dermatology Department, Ain Shams University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt

Sabry.babiker@gmail.com

Keywords

Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, JAK inhibitors, tofacitinib, neutrophilic dermatosis, follicular occlusion tetrad

Abstract

Background: Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp (DCS) is a rare, chronic neutrophilic dermatosis that is often refractory to conventional therapies.
Case report: We present a 29-year-old male with treatment-resistant DCS who achieved rapid and sustained remission following off-label use of tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. Previous therapies, including antibiotics, corticosteroids, and isotretinoin, had failed. After 9 weeks of tofacitinib 10 mg daily, the patient showed marked improvement and maintained remission for 6 months without side effects.
Conclusion: This case supports JAK inhibitors as a promising therapeutic strategy in refractory DCS, highlighting their potential role in managing challenging inflammatory dermatoses.

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References

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Published

2025-08-29

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 9 (2025)

Categories

How to Cite

1.
Al-Mamoori A, Al-Badri SGA, Sayed SBH, Al-Daraji W. Janus kinase inhibitors as a breakthrough treatment for refractory dissecting cellulitis of the scalp. EJCRIM [Internet]. 2025 Aug. 29 [cited 2026 Nov. 3];12(9). Available from: https://ejcrim.com/index.php/ejcrim/article/view/5743