Tetracycline and niacinamide: treatment alternatives in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.

Abstract

Cicatricial pemphigoid (CP) is one of the subepidermal autoimmune bullous dermatoses in which pathologic separation occurs between the epidermis and dermis. Ocular findings characteristic of CP include conjunctival cicatrization, subepithelial fibrosis, and symblepharon formation, which may progress to blindness. Ocular CP (OCP) is usually treated with steroids or immunosuppressive agents, which are problematic in and of themselves within the elderly population, which is most often afflicted with OCP. We describe the utility and effectiveness of therapy with tetracycline and niacinamide in elderly patients with OCP.