Treatment of autoimmune blistering diseases

The treatment of autoimmune blistering diseases remains therapeutically cha llenging. Significant improvement in the management of autoimmune bullous d iseases has occurred as a consequence of improvements in our ability to pre dict, monitor, and treat the deleterious effects associated with the drugs used to treat these conditions and the introduction of new agents with lowe r toxicity. Examples include improvements in monitoring and preventing oste oporosis in patients on long-term systemic corticosteroids, the detection o f those at risk for azathioprine toxicity bowing to low thiopurine methyltr ansferase activity, and the addition of agents such as mycophenolate mofeti l and IVIG to our therapeutic armamentarium. These advances offer the promi se of improved disease control with fewer side-effects and long-term toxici ty for our patients.