title: [Value of the cyclophosphamide bolus in severe systemic diseases. Preliminary results].
abstract: Twenty patients with severe systemic disease were treated intermittently with bolus intravenous injections of cyclophosphamide in doses of 0.5 to 1 g. The diseases were systemic lupus erythematosus in 9 cases, systemic necrotizing angiitis in 5 cases, Behçet's disease in 4 cases, Horton's disease in 1 case and dermatomyositis in 1 case. The rationale for this treatment was resistance to previous therapies in 9 patients, initial severity of the disease in 8 and the need for prompt reduction of corticosteroid dosage owing to side-effects in 3 other patients. No death or haemorrhagic cystitis was observed over a cumulative 120 month-patients period. Bacterial infection occurred in 6 cases, including pneumonia (3), and 1 case each of staphylococcal septicaemia, purulent meningitis and urinary infection: none of these infections were life-threatening, and all were cured without sequelae. The drug was well tolerated biologically, except for a moderate fall in neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelets. The systemic disease was stabilized or improved in 16 patients. It remained active and required corticosteroids at the same dosage level in 4 cases. It is concluded that bolus injections of cyclophosphamide are well tolerated in short-term treatments but that their effectiveness must be confirmed by controlled studies.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000139:chemically induced; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide
vernacular_title: Intérêt des bolus de cyclophosphamide dans les maladies systémiques graves. Résultats préliminaires.