Nonendemic pemphigus foliaceus in children.

Abstract

Pemphigus foliaceus is a cutaneous, autoimmune, blistering disease comprising two major categories: endemic and sporadic. The endemic form, also known as fogo selvagem, primarily affects children and young adults in rural Brazil. In contrast, the sporadic form of pemphigus foliaceus is generally a disease of the middle-aged and elderly. Because the sporadic form of pemphigus foliaceus rarely affects children, information specific to this unique group is lacking. We describe a 3-year-old boy with the disease and retrospectively review data from 28 past cases. In comparison to pediatric cases of pemphigus vulgaris, sporadic pemphigus foliaceus in children tends to follow a generally benign course of relatively short duration. However, long-term outcome studies are lacking. A pattern of skin lesions described as "arcuate," "circinate," or "polycyclic" appears to be a unique and specific presentation of this disease in children. Occasionally, as in our case, the diagnosis may prove difficult to establish by using routine histology or immunopathology. The commercial availability of antigen-specific techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serum desmoglein 1 autoantibody should eliminate delay in diagnosis. Hydroxychloroquine may be another treatment option for those children with photodistributed lesions. Further experience and long-term outcome studies in children are needed to determine whether some medication side effects may outweigh the risks from the disease itself.