desonide and Polymyositis

To assess the therapeutic response of intravenous (IV) pulse cyclophosphamide therapy in polymyositis and dermatomyositis.. Data of 9 patients (M:F = 2:7) who received IV pulse cyclophosphamide therapy were retrospectively analyzed.. The mean symptom duration was 11.33 ± 10.6 months (range, 2-34 months). The cohort comprised (1) primary idiopathic polymyositis (n = 1), (2) primary idiopathic dermatomyositis (n = 1), (3) childhood type associated with vasculitis (n = 1), and (4) associated with collagen vascular disease (n = 6). All patients improved and became clinically asymptomatic after a mean period of 12.33 ± 6.5 months (range, 4-24 months); 5 remained asymptomatic at the end of a median follow-up period of 22 months. All patients received concomitant steroid therapy, and in 6, steroids could be tapered after the initiation of IV pulse cyclophosphamide therapy.. In this cohort of polymyositis/dermatomyositis, treatment with IV pulse cyclophosphamide was associated with improvement; the therapeutic response was sustained in majority of the patients.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cohort Studies; Cyclophosphamide; Dermatomyositis; Desonide; Female; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Male; Middle Aged; Polymyositis; Young Adult