After so many years of learning about the epidemiology, nature, diagnosis and management of the pemphigus group and other bullous dermatoses at University Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Zagreb University Hospital Center and School of Medicine, it was wonderful to discover – from the oral presentation entitled “Bullöse Dermatosen 2007” held by Prof. Michael Hertl in Graz (Austria) at...

ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IIF: indirect Immunofluorescence PNP: paraneoplastic pemphigus PV: pemphigus vulgaris INTRODUCTION Because of variability in clinical and histopathologic findings, the diagnosis of paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) frequently relies on the combination of direct immunofluorescence and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). Here we present a unique case of PNP as...

Objectives. The aim of this pilot study was to describe the clinical efficacy of a conservative oral hygiene protocol in patients affected by gingival pemphigus vulgaris (PV) applied in a case series. Methods. Subjects suffering from PV with gingival localisation and slightly responsive to conventional treatment with systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs were selected among indiv...

Immunosuppressive drugs are the milestone of treatment of autoimmune diseases, but they can lead to serious complications, including hepatitis B virus reactivation in HBV carriers as well as in patients with occult HBV infection (OBI). A 36-year-old man with OBI was diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris. He was prescribed prednisolone and his hepatitis B surface antigen turned positive. Viral repli...

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an uncommon, immune-mediated bullous dermatosis, which, during its active phase, has been associated with infertility. Pemphigus vulgaris during pregnancy is exceedingly rare-only 26 cases with immunopathological confirmation have been reported. The disease may be associated with adverse neonatal outcome, including prematurity and fetal death. Transient skin lesions m...

The main treatment for pemphigus vulgaris are systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, but due to adverse reactions and therapeutic failure, new drugs such as rituximab and mycophenolate mofetil have been used. In this case report are described two cases of severe pemphigus vulgaris refractory to various treatments, with resolution after use of rituximab and mycophenolate mofetil,...

Myiasis, infestation of live human and vertebrate animals by larvae, can complicate ulcers and open wounds. Although myiasis occurs in neglected erosions of pemphigus, such a complication is not documented in the literature. Herein, we report a case of myiasis complicating pemphigus vulgaris and describe its dermatoscopic features.

IMPORTANCE The main component of the first-line treatment of pemphigus vulgaris is high doses of systemic corticosteroids, but adverse effects of these drugs are frequent and sometimes severe. Rituximab has shown effectiveness as a corticosteroid-sparing agent or in case of relapse. To our knowledge, the effectiveness of rituximab as a first-line treatment without systemic corticosteroids has n...

Dermatological diseases, besides involving the skin and its appendages may also involve the oral cavity. The lesions of oral cavity in dermatological disorders deserve special attention, considering that they may be the presenting clinical feature or the only sign of these disorders. Moreover, oral mucosal lesions in skin diseases can be life-threatning and also affect the quality of life in te...

Rituximab and mycophenolate mofetil are used to treat pemphigus vulgaris, but they have not been adequately compared in clinical trials.