title: Genital involvement in pemphigus vulgaris (PV): correlation with clinical and cervicovaginal Pap smear findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The frequency of genital involvement in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) has not been clearly defined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate the frequency of cervical, vaginal, and vulvar involvement in PV and to determine their association with genital symptoms, clinical involvement, and cytological status.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study's sample included 34 female patients with PV. Gynecologic and ear, nose, and throat examinations and indirect immunofluorescence analyses were performed, and Pap smears were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genital involvement was observed in 44.1% of patients. It was significantly associated with disease severity and clinical involvement. Pharyngeal involvement was observed in 61.8% of patients and was the second-most frequently involved mucosal region. Genital involvement was significantly associated with nasal mucosa involvement. Cervicovaginal Pap smears showed acantholytic cells of PV in 35.3% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sample size is small.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genital involvement in PV is not rare. Genital mucosa is the most affected mucosal region after oral and pharyngeal mucosa. Furthermore, genital involvement is significantly associated with nasal involvement and genital symptoms. The need for complete gynecologic evaluations of patients with PV, nasal involvement, and genital symptoms is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mukaddes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kavala
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: filizsvet@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Topaloğlu Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilkin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zindanci
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Can
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Turkoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zemheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Osman Halit
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Cam
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine, Goztepe Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teksen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D014621:Vagina / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D014844:Vulva / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: autoimmune bullous diseases; cervicovaginal Pap smears; cervix; genital involvement in pemphigus vulgaris; mucosal involvement in pemphigus vulgaris; pemphigus; pemphigus vulgaris; vagina and vulva involvement in pemphigus vulgaris