Monoclonal anti-CD20 Antibody Therapy in Cicatrical Pemphigoid with Oral and Hypopharyngeal Involvement and Related Conditions.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid is a rare blistering autoimmune disorder that can lead to significant disability. Recently, the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab has shown efficacy in pemphigus and pemphigoid, but the data for pemphigoid are relatively sparse. The authors report a series of four patients with severe cicatrical pemphigoid treated with rituximab. All of these patients responded and two of them had a complete remission. Rituximab is a second-line treatment for severe and recalcitrant cicatrical pemphigoid.