Bullous pemphigoid is a skin disorder. Bullous pemphigoid is a chronic condition. The disorder is reasoned by antibodies and inflammation abnormally forming in a certain layer of the skin called the “basement membrane. It is characterized by large blisters. Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is rare case only seven people in a million form it each year in the UK. Most affected people are aged over 60. It is very rare in children. Men and women are equally affected. BP is not infectious hence you can’t ‘catch’ it from an affected person.

Bullous pemphigoid commonly occurs in older adults. The condition is sometimes life- threatening, but the medications for treating bullous pemphigoid can cause complications. Without treatment, bullous pemphigoid may persist, with periods of pardon and flare-ups, for many time. Bullois Pemphigoid is an autoimmune ailment. In this disease, antibodies are made against the membrane between dermis and epidermis layers of the skin. That means the cells in the body that prevent infection or antibodies attack the skin cells, causing blisters.

Skin becomes provoked (erythematous) and very itchy (pruritic). Its first symptom is redness of the skin surrounding a lesion, scar, and/or the navel. In few weeks, thin walled lesion with clear fluid centers (bullae) forms on the undersurfaces of the arms and legs (flexor surfaces), in the armpits (axillae), on abdomen, and/or around the groin. Apart from Pemphigus, Bullous Pemphigoid lesions mormally do not affect the mucous membrane lining the mouth; if they do they heal rapidly. The lesions formed are usually hard and tight, and contain clear or blood-tinged fluid; they do not break easily. If the lesions do rupture, pain may occur but healing is usually rapid. Bullous Pemphigoid generally itches and in its early stage, itching and patches may be the only symptoms. After a few months, the symptoms of Bullous Pemphigoid usually disappear freely, but they may recur for no apparent reason.

Causes of Bullous Pemphigoid

Common causes of Bullous Pemphigoid :

• Immunogenetic analyses
• Trauma.
• Epitope spreading.
• Chemokines.
• Complement activation.

Symptoms of Bullous Pemphigoid

Common Symptoms of Bullous Pemphigoid :

• Itching..
• Bullae.
• Rashes.
• Mouth sores.
• Bleeding gums.
• General ill feeling.
• Lesions.

Treatment of Bullous Pemphigoid

There is no medical cure for it as such. The disorder can only be kept in controlled with some medications so that it may not become more harmful. The only perfect cure for bullous pemphigoid is time, and as time will pass it will automatically cure on its own. Common Treatment of Bullous Pemphigoid :

• Immunosuppressive drugs as azathioprine and methotrexate, have been used in combination with corticosteroid drugs to mmedicate Bullous Pemphigoid.
• Topical Steroids are very effective, usually clobetasol propionate for the fast recovery.
• Some antibacterial ointment can also be used to prevent skin infection.
• The skin infection can be controlled by using drugs, like Dapsone, Prednisone and Imuran.
• The topical cortisone creams can resolve bullous pemphigoid, but sometimes requires high doses of cortisone taken internally.
• Nicotinamide may also be used in the chronic condition.
• High dose intravenous immunoglobulin is useful for the reduction of blisters from the skin.
• Bullous pemphigoid can also require immune suppression drugs, such as azathoprine.