Pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder that causes blistering and raw sores on skin and mucous membranes. As with other autoimmune disorders, it is caused when the body's defenses mistake its own tissues as foreign, and attack the cells. Pemphigus is derived from the Greek word pemphix meaning bubble or blister.

Types

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There are three types of pemphigus which vary in severity: pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, and paraneoplastic pemphigus.

• The most common form of the disorder is pemphigus vulgaris (ICD-10 L10.0). It occurs when antibodies attack Desmoglein 3, a protein that keeps cells bound together. Thus, cells simply fall apart, causing skin to slough off. Although pemphigus vulgaris may occur at any age, it is quite rare in children, and most common in the middle aged and elderly. Sores often originate in the mouth, making eating difficult and uncomfortable. Pemphigus vulgaris often affects people between the ages of 40-60, and mainly of Jewish or Mediterranean descent. Some patients are associated with myasthenia gravis,but it's unusual.

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