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Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Granulocyte-dependent Autoantibody-induced Skin Blistering
Published on: October 12, 2012
Association of bullous pemphigoid and comorbid health conditions: a case-control study
Sherry Lee1, Supriya Rastogi1, Derek Y Hsu1
1Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Suite 1600, 676 N Saint Clair Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Background:
Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune skin disease characterized by the formation of blisters between the epidermis and dermis. Comorbidities of pemphigoid have not been well-described. Identification of comorbidities associated with pemphigoid is important to decrease morbidity and mortality.
Objective:
To identify the comorbid health conditions of bullous pemphigoid.
Methods:
This was a case-control study of 91 cases of pemphigoid verified by clinical and laboratory diagnosis and 546 age- and sex-matched controls with complete follow-up at a large metropolitan quaternary care medical center.
Results:
The average age of bullous pemphigoid patients was 76 years and 53% of patients were female. Forty-eight (53%) of the BP patients had a history of inpatient hospitalization, of which 22 (24.2%) were hospitalized for either previously undiagnosed BP or an exacerbation of BP. Bullous pemphigoid was significantly associated with hypertension [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval)]: [2.03 (1.24-3.32)], diabetes mellitus [2.59 (1.60-4.19)], chronic kidney disease [2.29 (1.19-4.40)], end-stage renal disease [3.82 (1.48-9.85)], basal cell carcinoma of the skin [6.00 (1.94-18.6)], and obstructive sleep apnea [5.23 (2.45-11.19)]. 78% of BP patients used at least one systemic immunosuppressant. There was no significant association between treatments for pemphigoid and any of the comorbidities.
Conclusions:
Bullous pemphigoid patients need screening for comorbid health conditions even though treatment options do not seem to be associated with these comorbidities.
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