Treatment of Pemphigus Vulgaris With Pulse Intravenous Cyclophosphamide

Abstract

Pulse doses of immunosuppressive agents appear to be successful in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris. High-dose steroid therapy can be tapered with the use of this treatment. Because monthly intravenous doses of cyclophosphamide lead to a substantially reduced cumulative dose, when compared with standard oral regimens, the risk of developing malignancy may also be reduced. Further studies using larger groups of patients are needed to evaluate the efficacy of pulse intravenous cyclophosphamide in pemphigus vulgaris. Long-term follow up will be necessary to compare the incidence of malignancy in patients receiving pulse doses of immunosuppressive agents with that in patients receiving continuous oral treatment.