title: Incidence of autoimmune bullous diseases in Serbia: a 20-year retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While most previous surveys on the clinico-epidemiological features of autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs) have predominantly focused on a single disease entity or just one disease group, there have been only few studies examining the incidence of various AIBDs. In the present study, we set out to determine the spectrum of AIBDs, to estimate the incidence of the most common AIBDs, and to examine their temporal trends in Central Serbia over a period of 20 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively recruited 1,161 new AIBD cases diagnosed in Central Serbia during the period from January 1991 to December 2010. The diagnosis was based on strict clinical, histological, and immunohistological evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence rates were: 4.35 per million population/year (pmp/year) for pemphigus, 4.47 pmp/year for pemphigoid, 1.42 pmp/year for dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), 0.25 pmp/year for linear IgA disease, and 0.08 pmp/year for epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. In the period observed, age-adjusted incidence rates significantly increased for pemphigus and particularly for pemphigoid, whereas they decreased, albeit not significantly, for DH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the first time, our study evaluates the incidence rates of the entire spectrum of AIBDs in Serbia, and examines their temporal trends over a 20-year period. To the best of our knowledge, our finding of similar incidence rates for pemphigus and pemphigoid has previously not been reported.
authors: Clinic of Dermatovenereology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. milinm@eunet.rs.|Department of Dermatovenereology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. milinm@eunet.rs.
authors: Mirjana V
authors: MV
authors: Milinković
authors: Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Slavenka
authors: S
authors: Janković
authors: Clinic of Dermatovenereology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.|Department of Dermatovenereology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Ljiljana
authors: L
authors: Medenica
authors: Clinic of Dermatovenereology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.|Department of Dermatovenereology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Miloš
authors: M
authors: Nikolić
authors: Clinic of Dermatovenereology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Vesna
authors: V
authors: Reljić
authors: Clinic of Dermatovenereology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.|Department of Dermatovenereology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Svetlana
authors: S
authors: Popadić
authors: Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Janko
authors: J
authors: Janković
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult