Penicillamine‑induced pemphigus

ORCiD

0000-0002-5447-9016

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

ISSN

0098-7484

Volume

247

Issue

19

DOI

10.1001/jama.1982.03320440053036

First Page

2705

Last Page

2707

Publication Date

5-21-1982

Abstract

Penicillamine therapy has been associated with a variety of autoimmune disorders, including pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus. The "late scaling rash" or oral ulcerations associated with penicillamine may represent the superficial erosions of early pemphigus. We describe four patients with pemphigus induced by penicillamine therapy and emphasize the "seborrhea-like" characteristics of this eruption that may obscure the diagnosis. A high prevalence (71%) of HLA-B15 is noted in the seven patients on whom HLA data are available. Early recognition is important because of the potentially fatal nature of pemphigus. The mechanism by which penicillamine induces or unmasks pemphigus and other immunologic syndromes remains to be elucidated.

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