Triggered pemphigus with koebner phenomenon: A coincidence?

Abstract

Pemphigus includes a group of autoimmune bullous diseases of skin and/or mucous membranes characterized by intraepidermal acantholytic blisters. The onset and course of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) depend on a variable interaction between predisposing and inducing/triggering factors. Genetic predisposition has an important role and is alone not sufficient to initiate the autoimmune mechanism. The interference of inducing or triggering environmental factors seems to be crucial to set out the disease. Triggering of PV by physical agents, contact allergens, dietary factors, and emotional stress are rare, but well-documented events. The Koebner phenomenon (KP), which is described as the appearance of typical skin lesions of a certain dermatosis in uninvolved skin as a result of different kinds of trauma, is rarely documented in pemphigus. We would like to report this case due to the unusual coexistence of thermal burns triggering pemphigus and KP occurring in the same patient.

Keywords

• induced pemphigus
• koebnerization
• triggered pemphigus