Autoimmune Bullous Dermatoses

Overview

The bullous dermatoses comprise the congenital bullous dermatoses and acquired autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune bullous dermatoses are characterized by relatively stable clinical, histopathological and immunopathological findings. They arise on the basis of specific autoimmune reactions either with desmosomal or basement membrane molecules. According to the site of blister formation they are divided into intraepidermal and subepidermal bullous diseases. These serious conditions cause high morbidity and mortality and therefore require a long-term treatment. Newly developed molecular-biologic techniques help to better understand their pathophysiology, establish the precise diagnosis and thus to choose the proper effective treatment.

Key words:
autoimmune bullous diseases – pemphigus – pemphigoid – epidermolysis bullosa acquisita – dermatitis herpetiformis – linear IgA dermatosis