GUIDELINES FOR THE SYSTEMIC TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH PEMPHIGUS AT THE UNIVERSITY CLINIC FOR DERMATOLOGY – SKOPJE

Pemphigus encompasses a group of life-threatening autoimmune bullous diseases characterized by blisters and erosions on the mucous membranes and skin, requiring a standardized approach to diagnosis and treatment. According to current recommendations, the treatment of diseases in this group involves the use of systemic corticosteroids in combination with immunosuppressants (azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil), as well as biological therapy with rituximab, which has already been approved as a first-line treatment for moderate to severe pemphigus vulgaris in Europe and the USA. These guidelines were developed for the needs of the University Clinic of Dermatology – Skopje, which serves as a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of pemphigus in the Republic of North Macedonia. They are based on the Updated S2K guidelines on the management of pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus initiated by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV). The guidelines include general information about the disease, a system for grading disease severity, and recommendations for treatment and monitoring.