ABSTRACT

Pemphigus herpetiformis, which is a rare form of pemphigus, presents with annular erythematous plaques, herpetiform vesicles, bullous lesions and pruritus similar to dermatitis herpetiformis clinically, but it has the immunologic features of pemphigus. A 67-years-old female patient referred to our clinic with the complaint of pruritic blisters, on her trunk and legs that appeared three years ago and exacerbated a month ago. The histopathologic examination of the skin biopsy, conducted on with prediagnoses of bullous pemphigoid, dermatitis herpetiformis and linear IgA bullous dermatosis revealed intraepidermal bullous dermatitis, and intercellular staining of IgG and C3 with direct immunofluorescence method. Desmoglein antibodies were detected to be positive for desmoglein-1, and negative for desmoglein-3. With all these findings the patient was diagnosed to have pemphigus herpetiformis.