Bullous Pemphigoid Blistering Disease

Bullous Pemphigoid

I. Definition:

Bullous pemphigoid is a blistering disease that usually occurs in people over fifty years of age. The blisters are large and can occur anywhere on the skin but are more common on the skin fold areas such as the groin and armpits. Bullous pemphigoid can also involve the mouth. The disease is rarely life-threatening.

II. Causes:

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune disease. This means that the cells in the body that normally fight infection or germs attack the skin cells, causing blisters. No one knows why the immune cells start attacking the skin cells.
Bullous pemphigoid is not contagious; that is, it does not spread from person to person.

III. Treatment:

When the blisters break, the best thing to put on the blisters is Polysporin or some other antibacterial ointment to prevent infection. See wound care.
Several oral medications can be used including Dapsone, Prednisone, and Imuran. These are all very powerful medications with side effects that require your doctor to monitor your blood work at least once a month.
There is no medical cure for bullous pemphigoid. The condition can be controlled with strong medications. Bullous pemphigoid sometimes gets better on its own and can even disappear completely after a few years.

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