Pemphigus vulgaris

Disease	Injury	Nutrition	Poison

Special Topic	Surgery	Symptoms	Test

Pemphigus, vulgaris on the back

Pemphigus, vulgaris - lesions in the mouth

Pemphigus vulgaris

Symptoms:

skin lesions
- recurrent or relapsing
- blisters, flaccid
- mouth ulcer or skin ulcers
- may drain, ooze, crust
- located on the mucous membrane of the mouth
- located on the scalp, trunk or other skin areas
- spreading to other skin areas.
- superficial skin peeling or detaching easily

Signs and tests:

Nikolsky's sign is positive -- when the surface of uninvolved skin is rubbed laterally with a cotton swab or finger, the skin separates easily.
A skin lesion biopsy shows acantholysis.
An examination of the biopsy tissue with immunofluorescence confirms pemphigus.
The Tzanck test of a smear from the base of a blister shows acantholysis.

Review Date: 8/26/2002
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. editorial. Previous review: Michael Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (11/12/2001).

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