Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disease of dermatology in which anti-desmoglein IgG antibodies attack keratinocytes within the epidermis itself, causing intraepidermal acantholysis (separation of keratinocytes) that produces fragile, flaccid bullae and a positive Nikolsky sign. This distinguishes it mechanistically from bullous pemphigoid, where the immune attack instead targets the dermal-epidermal junction; the intraepidermal site of attack in pemphigus vulgaris results in thinner-walled, more fragile blisters and a more severe, potentially fatal clinical course with extensive mucosal involvement.
Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disease of dermatology in which anti-desmoglein IgG antibodies attack keratinocytes within the epidermis itself, causing intraepidermal acantholysis (se…