Bullous pemphigoid and malignancy

Bullous pemphigoid has been reported in multiple publications to be associated with malignant neoplasms of different internal organ systems. This relationship was studied among forty patients seen at the Dermatology Clinics of the Puerto Rico Medical Center. The study demonstrated that Puerto Rican patients with bullous pemphigoid do not show an increased incidence of internal malignancy when compared with the general population matched for age, sex and study period. We conclude that extensive diagnostic studies for malignant neoplasms should not be the standard of care in patients with bullous pemphigoid. Additional studies should be guided by the clinical history and physical findings.