Silver-containing Hydrofiber Dressing is an Effective Adjunct in the Treatment of Pemphigus Vulgaris

• Main Authors: Chieh-Shan Wu, Hui-Yu Hsu, Stephen Chu-Sung Hu, Hsiu-Hui Chiu, Gwo-Shing Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2009-11-01
• Series: Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
• Subjects: pemphigus vulgaris; silver-containing hydrofiber dressing; wound healing
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1607551X09705674

Pemphigus vulgaris is a life-threatening autoimmune bullous dermatosis and its management represents a major challenge to medical teams. The primary treatments for pemphigus vulgaris are oral steroids and immunosuppressants, but topical approaches also play a role in disease management. Here, we report a patient with pemphigus vulgaris involving 62% of the total body surface area, with initial poor clinical response to systemic steroids and topical silver sulfadiazine therapy. However, a marked improvement in wound healing and decreased patient discomfort were observed after application of silver-containing hydrofiber dressings (Aquacel-Ag®). Therefore, silver-containing hydrofiber dressings may offer an effective adjunct in the treatment of patients with pemphigus vulgaris with extensive skin involvement. Our encouraging experience with these dressing patches may be extended to manage other large exudation wounds.