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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 three 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.
- Paraneoplastic pemphigus. This form, which is associated with certain types of cancer, causes painful sores on your mouth and lips and in your esophagus, as well as skin lesions. This form of pemphigus can also cause lesions in your lungs, resulting in progressive lung disease and making it difficult for you to breathe (dyspnea).
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
- Goldstein BG. Pemphigus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 6, 2010.
- Berger TG. Dermatologic disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. 49th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=747. Accessed April 5, 2010.
- Stanley JR. Pemphigus. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2970595. Accessed April 5, 2010.
- Pemphigus vulgaris. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec10/ch112/ch112f.html. Accessed April 5, 2009.
- Pemphigus. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Pemphigus/default.asp. Accessed April 5, 2010.
- Baroni A. Vesicular and bullous disorders: Pemphigus. Dermatologic Clinics. 2007;25:597.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester. April 9, 2010.
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