Considerations for the use of immunosuppression for the management of pemphigus during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on rituximab: Case reports from a single center experience in Australia.

ABSTRACT: Pemphigus is a rare group of autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering conditions for which the mainstay of treatment is immunosuppression. This is usually achieved with high dose corticosteroids as well as steroid sparing agents. Rituximab is now recommended as a first line treatment for moderate to severe pemphigus vulgaris, the commonest form of pemphigus, alongside corticosteroids. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic the use of rituximab was reduced in our department due to its long term irreversible B-cell suppression. During the COVID-19 pandemic careful pharmacological selection was undertaken for our pemphigus patients to balance the risks of immunosuppression. To demonstrate this, we report three pemphigus patients who required treatment for COVID-19 and assessment througho

SUBMITTER: Koszegi B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10043414 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature