title: Efficacy and limitations of pulse cyclophosphamide therapy in polymyositis and dermatomyositis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the therapeutic response of intravenous (IV) pulse cyclophosphamide therapy in polymyositis and dermatomyositis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 9 patients (M:F = 2:7) who received IV pulse cyclophosphamide therapy were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean symptom duration was 11.33 ± 10.6 months (range, 2-34 months). The cohort comprised (1) primary idiopathic polymyositis (n = 1), (2) primary idiopathic dermatomyositis (n = 1), (3) childhood type associated with vasculitis (n = 1), and (4) associated with collagen vascular disease (n = 6). All patients improved and became clinically asymptomatic after a mean period of 12.33 ± 6.5 months (range, 4-24 months); 5 remained asymptomatic at the end of a median follow-up period of 22 months. All patients received concomitant steroid therapy, and in 6, steroids could be tapered after the initiation of IV pulse cyclophosphamide therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cohort of polymyositis/dermatomyositis, treatment with IV pulse cyclophosphamide was associated with improvement; the therapeutic response was sustained in majority of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, NIMHANS, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagappa
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Taly
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gayathri
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Bindu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahadevan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003898:Desonide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D003898:Desonide