Pemphigus Vulgaris and Bullous Pemphigoid I. What every physician needs to know. Pemphigus vulgaris (i.e., pemphigus) and bullous pemphigoid (i.e., pemphigoid) are autoimmune disorders in which blistering of the skin is the primary symptom. Autoantibodies against desmoglein (specifically, Dsg 3) cause the intraepidermal blistering seen in pemphigus, while autoantibodies against hemidesmosomes are the reason for…
Common variable immunodeficiency (antibody deficiency) I. What every physician needs to know. Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common antibody deficiency, and in many cases the etiology is unknown. In fact it is possible that further genetic testing will reveal that the entity currently termed CVID is actually a heterogeneous collection of antibody deficiency…
Ocular pain I. Problem/Condition. Eye pain is a myriad of symptoms ranging from sharp pain in the eye to mild discomfort or itching in the eyes. As the spectrum of symptom presentation varies with eye pain, the cause of these pains may vary from very simple refractive errors to potentially sight threatening disorders like glaucoma…
