Plasma-exchange as a 'rescue therapy' for dermato/polymyositis in acute phase. Experience in three young patients

摘要

There are few data in the literature supporting the efficacy of plasma-exchange in dermato/ polymyositis. The authors report three cases of patients with acute disease phase showing severe pharyngo-esophageal muscle weakness unresponsive to conventional therapy (corticosteroids and immunosuppressant agents) who were treated with plasma-exchange. As the patients were at high risk of "aspiration pneumonia", tracheostomy and PEG tubes were placed.