[Bullous pemphigoid and Parkinson's disease: about a case]

Pan Afr Med J. 2017 Oct 4:28:111. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2017.28.111.12925. eCollection 2017.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease which can be associated with many pathologies including degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Studies have suggested the possibility of cross-immune responses through "epitope spreading". Bullous dermatosis has been reported to be secondary to neurological disease, at intervals ranging from a few months to a maximum of a few years. Then is it an unusual association or a causation? It has been suggested that drug consumption, decubitus lesions, traumatic events as well as reduced immunity can be triggers for BP in patients with neurological disease. We report the case of a 93-year old patient with a 10-year history of advanced Parkinson's disease, hospitalized for the treatment of a common bullous pemphigoid confirmed by histology and immunohistochemistry. The patient was treated with oral corticosteroids. After a week of treatment, the patient died due to septic shock. Neurological disorders represent a real risk factor for BP. BP could be considered as a marker for neurological disorder. These associations are of broad interest, because they can play a role in the etiopathogenesis of BP and contribute to a complete understanding of the causes of these neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords: Bullous pemphigoid; Parkinson's disease; neurological diseases.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Parkinson Disease / complications*
  • Pemphigoid, Bullous / diagnosis*
  • Pemphigoid, Bullous / drug therapy
  • Pemphigoid, Bullous / etiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Shock, Septic / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones