Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a very rare disease. There are only about 5 new cases per million people each year in the UK.
PV is a disease which causes blisters and erosions of the skin and mucous membranes. Mucous membranes are the soft, moist linings of cavities such as the mouth, nose, throat and genitals.
Most patients with PV get mouth erosions first, but in some patients PV can appear on the skin first.
PV can be a life threatening disease and people with PV will need medicines from a doctor to treat it. PV does not go away on its own.
It can become serious if the erosions of the skin or mucous membranes become widespread.
PV is an autoimmune disease caused by the body producing autoantibodies which attack the body’s own skin and mucous membranes. This is what causes the blisters and erosions to form.
It is a chronic, relapsing disease which means the blisters and erosions will flare up from time to time, but the severity and frequency varies between people.
PV can start at any age but it usually affects adults. It can affect people of all races but it is more common in certain groups.
PV is not an infection and is not catching.
Sometimes people do not realise that there are several different diseases with similar sounding names to pemphigus vulgaris. Pemphigoid and benign familial pemphigus are completely different diseases from pemphigus vulgaris.
Other conditions confused with pemphigus vulgaris
There are other skin conditions that have similar sounding names to pemphigus vulgaris and these can sometimes get mixed up with PV.
If you would like more information on bullous pemphigoid please go to the B.A.D.'s Pemphigoid Patient Information Leaflet
For more information on Hailey-Hailey disease see http://www.haileyhailey.com/ or the B.A.D.'s Hailey-Hailey Patient Information Leaflet
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