title: Spectrum of autoimmune blistering dermatoses in Tunisia: an 11-year study and a review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autoimmune bullous dermatoses (ABD) are a rare but significant group of cutaneous disorders posing great diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to the treating dermatologist. Few surveys have been carried out to describe the whole spectrum of ABD in a region.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinicoepidemiological features of various ABD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively recruited all ABD cases seen during an 11-year period (1997-2007).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and seventy-four patients were involved (16.3 cases/year). Pemphigus was observed to be the most common ABD (53%), with the majority being pemphigus vulgaris (61%) vs. 36% of pemphigus foliaceus (Tunisian pemphigus).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most epidemiological surveys have focused on a single or just one group of ABD. In our series, pemphigus foliaceus was relatively more prevalent than in occidental data. The frequencies of subepidermal immunobullous dermatoses in our study were in agreement with those in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Jabbari, Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia. inesrania@myway.com
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zaraa
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerkeni
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ishak
authors.forename: Hella
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zribi
authors.forename: Dalenda
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: El Euch
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokni
authors.forename: Amel Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Osman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult