Dapsone

Let me tell you about dapsone. It’s one of those agents that sits in the therapeutic toolbox, not first-line for most things, but absolutely irreplaceable for a few. It’s a sulfone antibiotic, structurally related to the sulfonamides, but its utility in modern dermatology and beyond is largely tied to its unique anti-inflammatory effects, not its antimicrobial ones. I remember first encountering it in residency, buried in the formulary, mostly discussed in hushed tones because of its hematologic risks.