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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Pemphigus is characterized by blisters on your skin and mucous membranes. The blisters rupture easily, leaving open sores, which may ooze and become infected. The signs and symptoms of the main types of pemphigus differ depending on the type:
- Pemphigus vulgaris. The most common form, pemphigus vulgaris usually begins with blisters in your mouth, which then erupt on your skin. Blisters can also break out on the mucous membranes of your genitals. The blisters typically are painful, but don't itch. Blisters in your mouth or throat may make it hard to swallow and to eat.
- Pemphigus foliaceus. This type doesn't usually affect mucous membranes. The blisters, which usually begin on your face and scalp and later erupt on your chest and back, usually aren't painful. They tend to be crusty and itchy.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you develop blisters inside your mouth or on your skin. If you've already been diagnosed with pemphigus and are receiving treatment, see your doctor if you develop any of the following:
- New blisters or sores
- A rapid spread in the number of sores
- Fever
- Chills
- Achy muscles or joints
References
- Goldstein BG. Pemphigus. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 10, 2012.
- McPhee SJ, et al., eds. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2013. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2013. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=1. Accessed September 12, 2012.
- Martin LK, et al. Interventions for pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006263.pub2/abstract. Accessed Sept. 12, 2012.
- Pemphigus. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/pemphigus/. Accessed Sept. 10, 2012.
- Kasperkiewicz M, et al. Current therapy of the pemphigus group. Clinics in Dermatology. 2012;30:84.
- Venugopal SS, et al. Diagnosis and clinical features of pemphigus vulgaris. Dermatology Clinics. 2011;29:373.
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