Open AccessEsophageal Bullous Pemphigoid
Author(s) -
C. Branco,
Tomás Fonseca,
Ricardo Marcos-Pinto
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
european journal of case reports in internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.125
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 2284-2594
DOI - 10.12890/2022_003160
Subject(s) - medicine , bullous pemphigoid , dermatology , dysphagia , asymptomatic , odynophagia , disease , mucous membrane , mucocutaneous zone , surgery , pathology , antibody , immunology
Bullous pemphigoid is a rare autoimmune dermatologic disease that usually occurs in the elderly. Mucous membrane lesions occur in about 10–35% of patients and are almost always limited to the oral mucous membrane. Esophageal involvement is very rare (4% of cases) and usually presents with chest pain, dysphagia, and odynophagia, though patients are frequently asymptomatic. We report the case of newly diagnosed bullous pemphigoid in a 76-year-old man with a past medical history of dementia. He presented with cutaneous manifestations but also severe gastrointestinal bleeding due to extensive esophageal involvement. Although bullous pemphigoid is mainly a skin disease, mucous membrane lesions should not be overlooked as they are associated with an even poorer outcome. A high index of suspicion for esophageal involvement is needed as its presentation can be fatal, as with our patient.