Esophageal involvement in pemphigus vulgaris

Eight patients with pemphigus vulgaris were examined endoscopically for esophageal involvement. Most of them (seven of eight) had gastrointestinal symptoms of various types. Four of the patients had microscopical evidence of pemphigus vulgaris involving the esophagus. Three patients were found to have other diseases in their upper gastrointestinal tract accounting for their symptoms. There was no correlation between patients symptoms and macroscopic and microscopic findings. In patients with pemphigus vulgaris, endoscopy should be performed whenever gastrointestinal complaints appear, because the approaches to therapy could differ, according to the endoscopic findings.