TLDR Scalp involvement in pemphigus means the disease is more severe and harder to treat.
Scalp involvement in pemphigus was observed in 65.2% of patients with pemphigus vulgaris and 96.6% of patients with pemphigus foliaceus. The study of 75 patients found that scalp involvement correlated with higher disease severity (r = 0.7, p < 0.05), longer time to achieve complete clinical remission (39.1 ±47.1 months vs. 9.1 ±7.8 months), and shorter duration of remission (14.1 ±17.4 months vs. 105.7 ±108.8 months). Additionally, patients with scalp involvement had higher concentrations of anti-desmoglein 1 autoantibodies (109.9 ±68.0 U/ml vs. 21.3 ±39.4 U/ml). These findings suggested that scalp involvement in pemphigus indicated a need for a more aggressive therapeutic approach.
10 citations,
October 2014 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Pemphigus vegetans can appear on the scalp and is rare.
13 citations,
January 2018 in “BioMed Research International” Scalp involvement is common in pemphigus and can lead to hair loss, with the severity of scalp lesions linked to overall disease severity.
23 citations,
December 2014 in “Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia” Trichoscopy helps tell apart scalp lesions in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus and is useful for choosing biopsy locations.
9 citations,
June 2017 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology” People with pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus often have smaller sebaceous glands on their scalp.
7 citations,
July 2019 in “Clinics in Dermatology” Hair loss can indicate or worsen with systemic diseases, and treating the underlying condition is important.
13 citations,
August 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Trichoscopy helps quickly identify autoimmune diseases on the scalp but should be used with other standard tests.
