title: Pemphigus vegetans: a clinical, histological, immunopathological and prognostic study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pemphigus vegetans (P Veg) is a rare clinical form of pemphigus. Studies on P Veg are rare in the literature and none has so far evaluated the prognostic parameters.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this retrospective study of P Veg, we aimed to analyse epidemiological, clinical, immunopathological and therapeutic data. Study of prognostic factors with accuracy of patient survival was also carried out.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study (1981-2009) including 17 cases of P Veg. Statistical analysis was performed with chi-square and Fisher tests looking for a possible relationship between clinical data and prognostic factors. Follow-up time and disease-free survival time were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Clinical data were evaluated in univariate analysis looking for a significant association with survival. Equality of survival distribution was studied using log rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hospital prevalence of P Veg was 0.084‰ with a frequency of 9.1% among pemphigus. The mean age at onset was 47.6 years, with a sex-ratio (F/M) about 4.66. Neumann P Veg was the predominant clinical form (11/17). Clinically, the lesions were multifocal (16/17), prevailed on folds and mucous membranes. Under corticosteroids the mean period for healing was 24 ± 9 days. During the follow-up time, three patients died and 11 patients relapsed. Median of overall relapse-free survival was 13 ± 1.7 months. No significant association between clinical data and prognostic factors was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was a retrospective chart analysis and the number of patients was small.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The P Veg seems to be more frequent in Tunisia with high rate of mortality.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology department, la Rabta, Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia. inesrania@myway.com
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zaraa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sellami
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouguerra
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sellami
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chelly
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zitouna
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makni
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Hmida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokni
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Osman
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones