Management of Pemphigus Vulgaris: Challenges and Solutions

Management of Pemphigus Vulgaris: Challenges and Solutions is organized by Paradigm Medical Communications, LLC.

Dates:
Release Date: September 14, 2018
Last Reviewed: July 18, 2018
Expiration Date: September 14, 2019

Target Audience:
This activity has been designed for dermatologic and dental clinicians. It may also benefit other healthcare providers (HCPs) interested in the management of pemphigus vulgaris, including rheumatologists and hematologists.
 
Statement of Need
Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) belongs to a group of rare autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disorders that were often fatal prior to the introduction of effective treatments. There are, as yet, no US guidelines regarding the diagnosis or management of PV. In the absence of a cure, treatments focus on decreasing new blister formation and promoting healing of current blisters/erosions, without causing undue adverse effects. While dermatologists are typically the primary clinicians to diagnose and manage PV, dental clinicians are well-positioned to aid in the diagnosis of PV, since they may be the first HCPs to notice oral lesions that occur in PV.

Other clinicians (such as rheumatologists) help administer some of the treatments and assist in the prevention and management of adverse treatment effects. Management has evolved from corticosteroids to steroid-sparing immunosuppressant agents, cyclophosphamide, rituximab, intravenous immunoglobulin, immunoadsorption, and plasmapheresis. Many clinicians would benefit from ongoing education that delineates evidence-based recommendations for management of PV, including how to integrate current and emerging clinical trial data into the decision-making process.
 
Learning Objectives
Upon proper completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:
• Identify the process by which a clinical diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris is made.
• Apply findings from trials of current and emerging therapies to select treatment for patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

Additional details will be posted as soon as they are available.