Introduction
-
Immunological skin diseases are uncommon, accounting for 1.4% of the dermatology caseload in one study.
- Cause : the exact mechanisms causing disease are unknown.
- May be:
- Primary autoimmune diseases, where antibodies or activated lymphocytes are directed against self antigens.
- Secondary immune-mediated, where tissue damage results from immunological processes that do not involve self antigen.
- Signs : all are characterized by an inappropriate immune response causing skin disease.
- Diagnosis : usually by histopathology of skin biopsy.
- Treatment : immunosuppression (see individual conditions).
- Prognosis : guarded in most cases.
Diagnosis
Differential diagnosis
Immune-mediated syndromes
- Pemphigus foliaceus
. - Pemphigus erythematosus
.
- Pemphigus vulgaris
.
- Bullous pemphigoid .
- Discoid lupus erythematosus .
- Systemic lupus erythematosus .
- Pan-epidermal pemphigus.
- Cold-agglutinin disease.
- Paraneoplastic pemphigus
. - Vasculitis .
- Canine linear IgA dermatosis .
- Alopecia areata.
- Immunoproliferative enteropathy of Basenji dogs .
- Amyloidosis .
- Erythema multiforme .
- Toxic epidermal necrolysis .
- Pemphigus-like disease.
Sequelae
Prognosis
- Varies markedly, so diagnostic precision is important.
