[A study on the therapy and prognosis of pemphigus vulgaris]

The treatment and, in particular, the prognosis of 32 patients with pemphigus were studied. All cases were classified according to treatment, for example, corticosteroid only, corticosteroid + immune-suppressive agents, plasma exchange + corticosteroid and/or immune-suppressive agents, and other treatments. Results showed that with the plasma exchange group skin lesions disappeared the quickest, the percentage of disappearance was the highest and a long standing remission was able to be maintained. With the plasma exchange group, many cases were severe and had complications which were not able to be resolved by corticosteroid or immune-suppressive agents. Therefore, plasma exchange may be considered as a very significant form of treatment of pemphigus vulgaris.