[The problem of "Duhring-Brocq's" disease in children (author's transl)]

Inquiry in the french dermatological main centers and a survey of the literature suggest that the once described as Duhring-Brocq disease in children, may refer to three distinct bullous diseases. Taking in account clinical features, photon and electron-microscopical data, investigation for basement membrane antibodies, search for intestinal villous atrophy, effectiveness of dapsone or sulfapyridine, it is indeed possible to distinguish:1) bullous pemphigoid (very rarely); 2) dermatitis herpetiformis (not frequently), those two affections being similar to adult forms; 3) benign chronic bullous dermatitis of childhood. This last child specific disease, is the most frequently observed. Its clinical features are comparable to pemphigoids, but histopathology and immunology data are different. Its response to dapsone of sulfapyridine and to free gluten diet is note perfect and not constant, but its evolution is spontaneously favorable after a few years.