A Case of Esophageal Involvement Associated with Bullous Pemphigoid

Abstract

This paper describes esophageal involvement associated with bullous pemphigoid which we have experienced in our hospital.
The patient is a man of 69 years, who has skin rashes in both legs since November 1992. He came to see a doctor of dermatology of our hospital. As a result of skin biopsy, he was diagnosed as having bullous pemphigoid and was admitted to our hospital.
No subjective symptoms have been manifested, but endoscopic examination of upper digestive tract, performed to make a close investigation, revealed distended, softened and faded nodules in esophagus. Squamous epithelium was gathered from all strata of biopsy specimens. Just under the squamous epithelium, bullae-like blotch was observed. Moreover, immunohistochemical assay showed deposition of IgG in basement membrane. These results led us to diagnose this case as esophageal involvement associated with bullous pemphigoid.