Bullous pemphigoid developing during systemic therapy with chloroquine

Bullous pemphigoid has been reported to be induced or precipitated by systemic therapy with several drugs, including penicillamine, captopril, frusemide and ampicillin. We report an African male patient with sarcoidosis who was prescribed chloroquine for progressive dyspnoea. After 3 months he developed generalized pruritus which evolved into a widespread bullous eruption with acral targetoid lesions resembling erythema multiforme. The histological and immunofluorescence findings were diagnostic of bullous pemphigoid. The atypical clinical features of this case resemble the phenotype that has been noted in previous reports of drug-induced bullous pemphigoid.