Spectrum of autoimmune blistering dermatoses in Tunisia: an 11-year study and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune bullous dermatoses (ABD) are a rare but significant group of cutaneous disorders posing great diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to the treating dermatologist. Few surveys have been carried out to describe the whole spectrum of ABD in a region.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinicoepidemiological features of various ABD.

METHODS: We retrospectively recruited all ABD cases seen during an 11-year period (1997-2007).

RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-four patients were involved (16.3 cases/year). Pemphigus was observed to be the most common ABD (53%), with the majority being pemphigus vulgaris (61%) vs. 36% of pemphigus foliaceus (Tunisian pemphigus).

DISCUSSION: Most epidemiological surveys have focused on a single or just one group of ABD. In our series, pemphigus foliaceus was relatively more prevalent than in occidental data. The frequencies of subepidermal immunobullous dermatoses in our study were in agreement with those in the literature.