Yes, there are unfortunately complications that can lead to serious illness and death from PV. Large areas of eroded skin (ulcerated skin) can cause similar problems to burns, putting people at risk of:

• infection (particularly septicaemia)
• dehydration

Severe mouth erosions can often make it difficult to eat and drink which can lead to:

• malnutrition
• dehydration

To try to avoid these complications, treatment of PV is very important but there can be side-effects (see ‘Side-effects from treatment’).

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