
==== Front
Pan Afr Med J
Pan Afr Med J
PAMJ
The Pan African Medical Journal
1937-8688
The African Field Epidemiology Network

PAMJ-47-203
10.11604/pamj.2024.47.203.43265
Images in Clinical Medicine
Bullous pemphigoid: a rare clinical image
Patil Shraddha 1&https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0778-252X

Maurya Archana 1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1989-7941

1 Department of Child Health Nursing, Smt. Radhikabai Meghe Memorial College of Nursing Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed University) Sawangi Wardha, Maharashtra, India
& Corresponding author: Shraddha Patil, Department of Child Health Nursing, Smt. Radhikabai Meghe Memorial College of Nursing Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (Deemed University) Sawangi Wardha, Maharashtra, India. shraddhapatil633@gmail.com
22 4 2024
2024
47 20314 3 2024
22 3 2024
Copyright: Shraddha Patil et al.
2024
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Pan African Medical Journal (ISSN: 1937-8688). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Bullous pemphigoid
elderly
autoimmune disorder
blistering disease
corticosteroids
==== Body
pmcImage in medicine

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering illness, accounting for 70% to 80% of all subepidermal immunobullous cases. Bullous pemphigoid primarily affects the elderly, especially those who are between 60 to 80 years of age. Bullous pemphigoid is a rare autoimmune blistering illness characterized by the development of autoantibodies directed towards basement membrane zone components such as BP180 and BP230. It primarily affects the elderly, with a peak occurrence during the seventh and eighth decades of life. We present a rare case of an 80-year-old male with a bullous pemphigoid. The patient reported widespread blistering and erosions on his back skin, and upper and lower arms, as well as itching, discomfort, and pain. The patient was presented to the hospital with a serious complaint of tense blisters. Blisters are frequently seen on the arms, and upper and lower extremities, the patient is taking corticosteroids, prednisolone, intravenous immunoglobin, and anti-inflammatory drugs. A skin biopsy is recommended for the patient. There are various therapeutic options for this sickness, including anti-inflammatory medications, pharmaceuticals that decrease antibody formation, and treatments that improve antibody removal. Systemic corticosteroids are frequently used as first-line therapy, sometimes in conjunction with immunosuppressive medications like azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil in resistant cases. Emerging drugs, such as rituximab and intravenous immunoglobulin, show promise in situations where standard therapy fails. Despite therapeutic improvements, blood pressure remains a complex illness linked with significant morbidity and death, emphasizing the need for ongoing research to enhance diagnostic procedures and create tailored therapeutics.

Figure 1 widespread blistering and erosions over his back skin, upper and lower arm

Cite this article: Shraddha Patil et al. Bullous pemphigoid: a rare clinical image. Pan African Medical Journal. 2024;47(203). 10.11604/pamj.2024.47.203.43265
