Pemphigus and Associated Comorbidities: A Cross-Sectional Study

In a retrospective cross-sectional study involving 295 patients with pemphigus from a Canadian tertiary care center, researchers identified an increased risk of comorbidities such as hypothyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and diabetes when compared to the general population. The standardized prevalence ratio (SPR) for hypothyroidism was 1.53, for IBD was 1.48, and for diabetes was 2.20, indicating a higher incidence of these conditions among pemphigus patients. The study also reported that 12.88% of the patients had thyroid disease and 18.31% had diabetes, with the latter's cause (steroid-induced or pre-existing) being unclear. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was similar to the general population, while hypertension was significantly lower. Despite limitations such as potential ascertainment bias and the single-center nature of the study, the findings suggest the importance of screening for these comorbidities in pemphigus patients.