Delayed and localized pemphigus vulgaris after breast cancer radiotherapy |
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Authors: | Hiu Kwan Carolyn Tang MRCP Doreen Yin Hui Lee MRCP Ian Thompson FRCPath John R. Ingram FRCP Natalie Stone FRCP Girish K. Patel FRCP |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Care of the Elderly, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, UK;2. Department of Pathology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, UK;3. Division of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK;4. Department of Dermatology, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, UK;5. Welsh Institute of Dermatology, Glamorgan House, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK |
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Abstract: | Breast cancer treatment involving ionizing radiation causes characteristic radiation dermatitis in the majority of patients. The DNA damaging effects of radiation can rarely predispose to primary inflammatory dermatoses, such as pemphigus vulgaris. In such cases, the disease presents with all the hallmarks of the primary dermatosis, but the eruption is limited to the field of irradiation and is often amenable to treatment. In contrast, occurrence of generalized pemphigus vulgaris in this setting may mean cancer recurrence. The mechanism by which radiotherapy induces localized disease remains unknown, but there is likely a loss of self‐tolerance which maybe coupled to antigen exposure. |
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Keywords: | breast cancer pemphigus radiotherapy |
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