Pemphigus foliaceus and renal cell carcinoma

It is possible to distinguish the various forms of pemphigus from one another using clinical, histologic, and immunologic criteria. Paraneoplastic pemphigus, a recently defined type that is severe and often fatal, is associated with an underlying malignancy. We present the second reported case of pemphigus associated with renal cell carcinoma. We do not believe that either case represents paraneoplastic pemphigus, which suggests the possibility of some other link between these two diseases.