[The main autoimmune bullous diseases]

Abstract

Autoimmune bullous diseases are disorders in which the immune system mistakenly attacks certain molecules that act as "glue" in the various layers of the skin, leading to the formation of bullae or vesicles. A bulla is a liquid-containing lesion over five millimeters in size on the skin or mucous membranes. It forms due to a loss of cohesion between the epidermis and dermis, or between keratinocytes within the epidermis. Diagnosis is based on biopsies, which show the presence of autoantibodies and the depth of skin detachment. A blood test can be used to identify circulating autoantibodies.

Keywords: autoimmune disease; biopsie; biopsy; bulla; bulle; bullous disease; derme; dermis; epidermis; lesion; lésion; maladie auto-immune; maladie bulleuse; pemphigoid; pemphigoïde; pemphigus; épiderme.