[Bullous dermatoses in otorhinolaryngology (author's transl)]

The early clinical and histological diagnosis of acquired bullous dermatoses (pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid and the cicatricical pemphigoid of mucous membranes) may prove to be difficult when the disease is confined to the upper air and food passages. Histological differentiation between these diseases can also be difficult. In a number of cases it could be shown that the first signs of the disease were frequently mistaken for inflammatory conditions and that routine histological examination rarely confirmed the diagnosis. Only after immunohistological and immunoserological examination could the diagnosis be confirmed. In pemphigus, the treatment can be individually adapted to the titre of antibodies. The typical otorhinolaryngological findings in each of the three diseases are described.