Cyclophosphamide Treatment in Pediatric Rheumatology and Nephrology Practices
March 2025
in “
Pediatric Rheumatology
”
TLDR Cyclophosphamide is preferred for severe cases in pediatric rheumatology and nephrology despite its side effects.
This study compared the use of cyclophosphamide (CYC) and rituximab (RTX) in pediatric rheumatology and nephrology for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Conducted with 87 clinicians, it found that CYC is preferred for induction therapy due to its established efficacy, despite side effects like cytopenia, nausea, liver toxicity, and hair loss. The study noted the common practice of administering CYC with uromitexan to prevent bladder toxicity and emphasized the need for pre-treatment evaluations. While newer treatments like RTX are emerging, CYC remains favored in severe cases, and the study suggests developing pediatric guidelines to improve clinician awareness and patient care.