Blistering diseases in the mature patient

Abstract

Autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBD) are a group of chronic diseases affecting the skin and mucous membranes, with different presentation, clinical course, histologic and immunopathologic findings, and different therapeutic approach. Blisters develop as a result of autoantibodies directed against distinct adhesion structures within desmosomes or within the basement membrane zone. The most common AIBD that develops in the elderly is bullous pemphigoid (previously also named “pemphigoid senilis”), but mature patients can also present with other AIBD as mucous membrane pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, paraneoplastic pemphigus, pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, linear IgA dermatosis, and dermatitis herpetiformis. There are no differences in treatment approach to mature patients with AIBD, but due to more common comorbidities, systemic therapy should be given with more caution and control, and due to distorted skin integrity in the aged skin, the safety concerns are increased with the long-term use of any topical medication.