Plaquenil in the Treatment of

Despite adequately documented evidence of the effectiveness of the antimalarials quinacrine and chloroquine in the treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus,* a significant number of patients receiving these drugs derive little or no benefit from them, either because of side-effects of sufficient severity to compel discontinuance of medication, or simply because of lack of therapeutic effect. The desirability of a drug with greater therapeutic response, better tolerance, and less toxicity was evident, so when preliminary laboratory studies with Plaquenil \s=d\ revealed such advantageous properties in malaria, clinical evaluation of this drug in the treatment of discoid lupus erythematosus seemed logical.