Summary:
Autoimmune bullous diseases of the larynx are relatively rare. They include in
particular pemphigus and pemphigoid. In both instances diseases are involved which affect mainly
the skin, as to mucous membranes, most often the buccal mucosa is affected, however also the
mucosa of the larynx, hypopharynx and oesophagus may be affected. The diagnosis is histological
(intraepidermal acantholytic blisters in pemphigus vulgaris and subepidermal blisters in pemphigoid) and by direct immunofluorescence. The main and best known therapeutic method is cortico
therapy. The prognosis of untreated disease is bad, it is fatal due to general marasm or septicaemia.
Treatment reduces the mortality markedly, the patient’s death is usually associated with complications of prolonged corticotherapy. The authors describe three cases of these diseases which were
treated recently at the ENT Clinic of the Third Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague.
Key words:
pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigoid, direct immunofluorescence, corticotherapy.
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