Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA) - Treatment

Treatment

Microscopic Polyangiitis is treated using cyclophosphamide and a corticosteroid.

The following treatments are used for MPA:

• MPA is treated using a corticosteroid (a drug that suppresses inflammation and immunity) and cyclophosphamide (an anticancer drug that suppresses immunity). The patient could undergo complete cure or may experience relapses during treatment.
• Other drugs that may be useful are methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclosporine, intravenous immunoglobulin and monoclonal antibodies.
• Plasmapheresis (a procedure where antibodies are removed from the blood) may be useful in severe cases.
• Trimethoprim – sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic, may be used to prevent Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in MPA patients.