Autoimmune blistering skin diseases.

Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL, USA.

Emergency physicians, at the front line of patient care, are often confronted with a wide variety of dermatologic conditions. Prompt recognition is essential, especially for the autoimmune blistering skin diseases, many of which have considerable morbidity and mortality. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is imperative for appropriate referral and initiation of therapy. This review article provides a concise yet thorough discussion of the clinical presentation, incidence, differential diagnosis and management of the commonly encountered autoimmune blistering skin diseases, some of which include pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

PMID: 10830686 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]