Incidence and prevalence of dermatitis herpetiformis in western Sweden

The annual incidence of IgA-positive dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) during the years 1976-1981 in Gothenburg, Sweden, a city with approximately 430000 inhabitants, was estimated prospectively. The mean annual incidence was 1.1 per 10(5) inhabitants. The prevalence of DH as at 31 December, 1981 was 22.9 per 10(5) inhabitants or 19.6 if patients in long-standing spontaneous remission were excluded. These figures probably represent the minimum overall prevalence rate.