Original Article

Treatment of Recalcitrant Pemphigus Vulgaris With the Tumor Necrosis Factor α Antagonist Etanercept

Berookhim B, Fischer HD, Weinberg JM

Cutis. 2004;74:245-247.

The treatment of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is generally regarded as challenging. Patients with the disease require long-term systemic therapy, creating concern for the toxicities of these treatments. Corticosteroids, as drugs of first choice, often must be combined with steroid-sparing agents to prevent hazardous long-term side effects. We describe a 62-year-old woman with long-standing PV whose cutaneous disease responded to therapy with the tumor necrosis factor ? (TNF-?) antagonist etanercept, which was started for treatment of her inflammatory seronegative arthritis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of its efficacy in the treatment of PV.

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