Bullous pemphigoid evolving into cicatricial pemphigoid?

Journal article

We describe three patients who initially presented with both clinical and immunological findings to support a diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid but whose subsequent course has been that of cicatricial pemphigoid. Mucosal scarring was accompanied by a fall in autoantibody titres in our three patients. These cases illustrate the difficulties clinicians may experience in assigning a specific diagnosis to patients. They also support the concept that bullous pemphigoid and cicatricial pemphigoid are part of a single disease spectrum. The most intriguing question is what specific factors determine the expression of a particular disease phenotype as bullous pemphigoid and cicatricial pemphigoid share target antigens and also the DQ7 allele.

Authors: Banfield, C; Papadavid, E; Frith, P; Allen, J; Wojnarowska, F

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Clin Exp Dermatol
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 30-33
• Publication date: 1997-01-01
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2230.1997.d01-234.x
• EISSN: 1365-2230
• ISSN: 0307-6938
• Language: English
• Keywords: Immunoglobulin G; Aged; Pemphigoid, Bullous; Skin; Complement C3; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Immunoglobulin A; Middle Aged; Male; Pemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane; Humans; Time Factors; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect