Extrusion of pilosebaceous units into blisters of patients affected by a new variant of endemic pemphigus in El Bagre, Colombia, South America

Abstract

Background: A new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus is present in El Bagre, Colombia, and surrounding municipalities (El Bagre-EPF) that affects the skin and in some presentations affects other organs with autoantibodies directed against cell junctions.

Methods: We studied 200 El Bagre-EPF patient perilesional skin biopsies, as well as 200 skin biopsies from normal controls in the endemic area.

Results: We observed blister extrusions of sebaceous glands or entire pilosebaceous units via the isthmus in 23% of the patients and not in the controls.

Conclusions: The extrusion of hair follicular unit contents is consistent with our previous pathologic findings of autoreactivity to these units, and their observed clinical decrease in patients affected by El Bagre-EPF.

Keywords: endemic pemphigus foliaceus in El Bagre (El Bagre-EPF); pilosebaceous units; sebaceous glands.