[Treatment of pemphigus with plasmapheresis].
Therapeutic plasmapheresis was successfully used in a 29-year-old man with corticosteroid-resistant pemphigus vulgaris who had severe side-effects from the medication. 4 plasmaphereses were performed over a period of 3 weeks with removal of a total of 7900 ml of plasma. Concurrently he received large doses of adrenal steroids and Imuran. There was clinical improvement soon after the first plasmapheresis and 8 weeks after the treatment was started he was free of lesions. IC-Ab titers markedly decreased during the course of treatment and continued to decrease after it was completed. Side-effects were few and relatively mild. Plasmapheresis may be a useful adjunct in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris resistant to conventional therapy. It may be used initially together with corticosteroids, giving more rapid improvement, as well as a corticosteroid-sparing effect.
Friedman-Birnbaum
R
R
Dept. of Dermatology, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa.
Schechter
Y
Y
Bochner
H
H
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010956:Plasmapheresis
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D001379:Azathioprine