Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2024 Aug 22:12:2050313X241274855.
doi: 10.1177/2050313X241274855. eCollection 2024.

Use of dupilumab for recalcitrant bullous pemphigoid: A case report

Jillian Lamb  1 , Kerri Purdy  1 , Ashley Sutherland  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Use of dupilumab for recalcitrant bullous pemphigoid: A case report

Jillian Lamb et al. SAGE Open Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune blistering disease affecting the dermo-epidermal junction, most commonly seen in older patients. First-line treatment includes systemic, topical corticosteroids and/or steroid-sparing immunosuppressants. Treatment with these medications may be limited by their safety profile. Dupilumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 cytokines currently indicated for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, severe asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, and moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis. We report a case of a patient with recalcitrant bullous pemphigoid effectively treated with dupilumab.

Keywords: Bullous pemphigoid; biologics; bullous disease; dupilumab.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Back and dorsal aspect of proximal lower extremity. Left: Patient 28 months into refractory disease course. Right: Patient 38 weeks after initial loading dose of dupilumab.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Ventral aspect of the lower extremities. Left: Patient 28 months into refractory disease course. Right: Patient 38 weeks after initial loading dose of dupilumab.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Ventral and right side of the body. Patient 28 months into refractory disease course.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Volar aspect of distal upper extremities. Patient after 38 weeks after the initial loading dose of dupilumab.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pratasava V, Sahni VN, Suresh A, et al.. Bullous pemphigoid and other pemphigoid dermatoses. Medicina (Lithuania) 2021; 57(10): 61. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Yang J, Gao H, Zhang Z, et al.. Dupilumab combined with low-dose systemic steroid therapy improves efficacy and safety for bullous pemphigoid. Dermatol Ther 2022; 35(8): e15648. - PubMed
    1. Zhang X, Man X, Tang Z, et al.. Dupilumab as a novel therapy for bullous pemphigoid. Int J Dermatol 2023; 62(4): e263–e266. - PubMed
    1. Napolitano M, Di Guida A, Nocerino M, et al.. The emerging role of dupilumab in dermatological indications. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2021; 21(11): 1461–1471. - PubMed
    1. Lin Z, Zhao Y, Li F, et al.. Efficacy and safety of biological agents for pemphigoid: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol 2023; 62(8): 1000–1008. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources