Pemphigus Vulgaris

Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune disease of the skin and mouth (mucous membrane). Auto antibodies attack molecules that essentially hold the skin cells together, causing them to separate and resulting in blisters.

Pemphigus Vulgaris is characterized by multiple recurrent blisters that do not heal and persist for weeks to months. As many as 80% of the cases first exhibit symptoms in the mouth, and the mouth is sometimes the only site of lesions.

Typically, those with Pemphigus Vulgaris will have multiple ulcers accompanied by severe pain, itching, burning, and stinging, which persist for weeks to months. If extensive, blistering can lead to life-threatening fluid loss, infection, and disfigurement.

With treatment most patients treated for pemphigus will enter a partial or full remission within 2–5 years.

Pemphigus Vulgaris affects men and women approximately equally. It is an ultra-orphan disease (meaning it is very rare).The average onset of symptoms is in those aged 50–60 years. The disorder tends to appear more often in persons of Mediterranean ancestry, Ashkenazi Jews, and some subtypes in people from Brazil and Colombia.

Eighty percent of the time, symptoms begin in the mouth, with soft (flaccid) blisters or erosions, and these symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions of the mouth. Two-thirds of those affected with Pemphigus Vulgaris eventually experience lesions on both the skin and in the mouth. If left untreated, the erosion/blisters gradually spread over an increasing surface area and can be complicated by severe infections, metabolic disturbances, or fluid loss.

A single consultation with Dr. Rinky Kapoor would cost about INR 1000/-. The cost for treating a case of Pemphigus depends upon the type of treatment chosen. First line therapy including corticosteroids costs much lesser than the second line therapy, such as Plasmapheresis. Plasmapheresis includes the process for separating the blood, or plasma, from the cells. Treatment with Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) also costs more than corticosteroid treatment.

Pemphigus if not treated, can be fatal. Most of the times, death may occur within first few years of disease. However, if the patient survives for 5 years, prognosis is good. Generally children affected with Pemphigus respond better to treatment.

For more information on Dr. Rinky Kapoor’s work, click on: theestheticclinic.com/dr-rinky-kapoor.html

The Esthetic Clinic is a world class center dedicated to skin care and plastic surgery of the entire body – and specializes in housing an experienced Dermatologist, Dr. Rinky Kapoor, who can provide world class Skin Treatments, for skin diseases and make your skin look beautiful. So if you want to go ahead and get your hair, skin, and nails treated, The Esthetic Clinic is the right place for you.