Paradoxical disease flare, skin infection and hypogammaglobulinaemia in patients with pemphigus vulgaris treated with rituximab.

This article discusses the phenomenon of paradoxical disease flare, skin infection, and hypogammaglobulinemia in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) who are treated with rituximab. The available data on this topic are limited to isolated case reports. Hypogammaglobulinemia is a known adverse event of rituximab therapy and has been extensively studied in rheumatic disorders. In this study, four patients with PV experienced a paradoxical disease flare, hypogammaglobulinemia, and bacterial skin infection after receiving rituximab treatment. The authors suggest that monitoring IgG levels and minimizing hospital stays post-infusion may be important in the treatment of PV with rituximab. [Extracted from the article]