PEMPHIGUS-VULGARIS - TREATMENT AND EVOLUTION OF 40 PATIENTS

A retrospective study was conducted of 40 patients with pemphigus vulg aris seen in the period between 1965 and 1991. The time of follow-up o f the patients ranged from 6 months to 25 years 8 months, with a mean of 4 years 10 months. The objective of the study was to assess the the rapeutic response and evolution of the patients. All patients included in the study were treated with corticosteroids and 18 also received a n adjuvant immunosuppressant. The maximum daily corticosteroid dose ra nged 10 to 180 mg prednisone equivalent. Control of the pemphigus vulg aris was obtained in 37 (92.5%) of the 40 patients with a mean daily c orticosteroid dose of 77.4 mg prednisone equivalent. After control, 54 % of the patients relapsed. At the end of the study, 10 patients (25%) were without lesions and did not require treatment, 16 (40%) were wit hout lesions and receiving treatment, 10 (25%) had lesions and were re ceiving treatment, 2 (5%) had died of unrelated causes, and 2 (5%) had died due to pemphigus vulgaris and/or its treatment, and in both of t hese the cause of death was septicaemia.