Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for refractory ocular cicatricial pemphigoid: case report.
OBJECTIVE
To report the favorable outcome of a patient with severe ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, which was refractory to conventional treatment but recovered after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.


METHODS
A case report.


RESULTS
Conventional therapy failed to control the ocular symptoms of this patient, which are typical of the disease. However, the patient improved remarkably in response to pulsed intravenous human immunoglobulin therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
We achieved stabilization of the disease around the seventh intravenous immunoglobulin cycle, thus contributing to satisfactory postoperative evolution after limbal allograft transplantation and facilitating the performance of intraocular surgical procedures, such as phacoemulsification, with improvement in best-corrected visual acuity.
Galdos
Marta
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Cornea & External Diseases Service, Cruces Hospital, Baracaldo, Vizcaya, Spain. martagaldos@monteurquiola.com
Etxebarría
Jaime
J
D000368:Aged; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010390:Pemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors