Cyclophosphamide pulses with oral prednisolone in the treatment of pemphigus: a pilot study

An open labeled clinical trial aimed at assessing the efficacy and safety of pulse intravenous cyclophosphamide with daily oral prednisolone in the treatment of pemphigus was carried out. Twenty-six patients (12 men, 14 women; mean age, 48.4 years), comprising 25 cases with pemphigus vulgaris and 1 with pemphigus vegetans (< 10% body surface area involvement) who did not achieve adequate control on corticosteroids with or without other adjuvants were included. After baseline evaluation, monthly intravenous boluses of cyclophosphamide (15 mg/kg) along with daily oral prednisolone (starting dose 1 mg/kg/day, tapered according to clinical response) were administered. Patients were assessed monthly for clinical activity and side-effects. All patients experienced significant clinical improvement within 1 month of starting treatment. Healing of skin and mucosal lesions occurred respectively at mean durations of 2.1 and 3.6 months. Three weeks to 8 months later, 9 patients had recurrences of activity on tapering/withdrawal of prednisolone, mainly in the oral mucosa. Side effects of treatment included amenorrhea (3 patients), microscopic hematuria (3) which cleared with co-administration of mesna, vomiting (1), weight gain (10), gastritis (1), and cataract (2). It is concluded that treatment with monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide boluses along with daily oral prednisolone clears lesions of pemphigus with < 10 percent body surface involvement, and this may be an alternative regimen for pemphigus. Monitoring for adverse effects is essential.