Wegener's granulomatosis. Long-term followup of patients treated with cyclophosphamide.
Ten patients with Wegener's granulomatosis were treated with cyclophosphamide and followed for periods up to 7 years. In all cases cyclophosphamide induced complete remissions. The mean duration of remission (to date) was 38 months. Six patients have been in remission for a mean of 46 months after cyclophosphamide was discontinued; 2 have been disease-free for 7 years. Of the 10 patients treated, only 1 relapsed and she responded to a second course of cyclophosphamide. These results indicate that cyclophosphamide is the drug of choice in Wegener's granulomatosis. The long-term effectiveness of this drug suggests that it may induce permanent remissions in certain patients with Wegener's granulomatosis.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
D003520:Cyclophosphamide