Signs and Symptoms
The primary lesion of pemphigus is a flaccid blister that can occur anywhere on the skin, typically on the chest, groin, face, scalp, neck, and axillae (armpits). The blisters are fragile, and denuded or raw areas often are seen. This is especially so with mucosal (mouth and genitalia) lesions, where the blisters rupture soon after formation. Patients commonly present with painful oral lesions several months before other areas of the skin are affected.
In pemphigus foliaceus, blisters are rarely seen. Instead, scaly, crusted sores form, especially on the upper trunk, face, and scalp.
Paraneoplastic pemphigus usually presents with severe mouth (oral) and eye (ocular) lesions. The eruption typically resolves with the resolution of the cancer.
Physician-developed and -monitored.
Original Date of Publication: 01 Sep 2000
Reviewed by: Stanley J. Swierzewski, III, M.D.
Last Reviewed:
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