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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What is bullous pemphigoid?
• What are symptoms of bullous pemphigoid?
• How is it diagnosed?
• How is bullous pemphigoid treated?
• Bullous Pemphigoid Glossary
• Bullous Pemphigoid Index
• Find a local Dermatologist in your town

How is bullous pemphigoid treated?

Bullous pemphigoid can be chronic and mild without affecting the general health of affected individuals. Treatment of bullous pemphigoid can resolve with topical cortisone creams but sometimes requires high doses of cortisone ("steroids") taken internally. Severe bullous pemphigoid can also require immune-suppression drugs such as azathioprine (Imuran). Tetracycline has been used as a treatment option. Other treatments that have been used for severe disease include intravenous immunoglobulin infusions, typically given monthly.

Recent research has indicated that large quantities of high-potency topical corticosteroids applied to the entire body surface were safer and more effective in controlling extensive bullous pemphigoid than oral corticosteroids. It was felt by the researchers that topical corticosteroids should now be the treatment of choice for bullous pemphigoid, particularly when the disease is not extensive.