Pênfigo Vulgar Oral em Idosa: Condutas de um Caso Desafiador Oral Pemphigus Vulgaris in Old Woman: Conducts of a Challenging Case

Abstract

Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease that, depending on the level of epithelial involvement, can be classified into pemphigus vulgaris, vegetans, erythematosus and foliaceus. In addition to these, there is also the so-called paraneoplastic pemphigus, which occurs especially when there is a link to malignant neoplasms with emphasis on lymphomas. Only the vulgaris and vegetans types can affect the oral mucosa, with pemphigus vulgaris being the most prevalent one. The pathophysiological mechanism of the disease is characterized by the action of autoantibodies against the desmoglein proteins of the desmosomes found in the epithelial cells, thus triggering the formation of intraepithelial clefts and blisters. The management of patients with oral pemphigus vulgaris is quite challenging, especially in cases of older individuals and patients with comorbidities. This study discusses contemporary aspects of oral pemphigus vulgaris and elucidate the case of an old woman affected by the disease, highlighting all the propaedeutics used in her care and the treatment employed, with the use of systemic corticosteroids and constant follow-up of the patient’s condition, since pemphigus vulgaris is a disease that has no cure.