Blistering Diseases

Book excerpt: This book is a comprehensive compendium of current knowledge on inherited and autoimmune blistering diseases that relates advances in our understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms to management of the individual diseases. The aim is to provide a detailed reference for dermatologists who care for patients with these conditions and a useful “one-stop information shop” for specialists outside of dermatology. The book opens by describing the structure and biology of the epidermis and basement membrane zone and discussing the genes and proteins that are targets for mutations and autoantibodies. The role of the various diagnostic tests is explained, and clinical manifestations of the specific diseases are presented with the aid of many high-quality illustrations. The forms of treatment appropriate in specific conditions are then described in depth, with coverage of dressings, drugs, surgical procedures, gene therapy, and other novel approaches. Helpful algorithms are included both for testing and monitoring and for treatment.