METHYLPREDNISOLONE VERSUS PREDNISOLONE ME THYLSULFOBENZOATE IN THE TREATMENT OF BULLOUS PEMPHIGOID - RANDOMIZED MULTICENTRIC STUDY

Bullous pemphigoid is a bullous skin disease associated with basal mem brane antibodies. At present, the first treatment of these lesions is with corticosteroids. In this randomized study we compared the clinica l results obtained with methylprednisolone (MePr) in 28 patients and w ith prednisolone methylsulfobenzoate (MsPr) in 29 patients. Both drugs were administered orally in daily doses of 1 to 1.5 mg/kg bodyweight. Three clinical data were examined: the number of bullous lesions, the intensity of pruritus and the extent of erythema after 5 then 10 days of treatment. After 10 days, the number of bullous lesions had decrea sed by 83 p. 100 with MePr and by 78 p. 100 with MsPr, and the decreas e of pruritus had been significantly more pronounced in the MePr group than in the Ms group (p < 0.05). There had been no difference between treatments in the regression of erythema. Altogether, good results we re obtained in 22/28 patients under MsPr (78.6 p. 100) and 18/29 patie nts under MePr (62.1 p. 100). This raises the question of the value of pharmacokinetic studies not only with these two corticosteroids, but also with prednisone which seems to be better absorbed.