Familial benign chronic pemphigus (Hailey-Hailey disease): successful treatment with carbon dioxide laser

Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare, autosomal dominantly inherited genodermatosis, which manifests with recurrent intraepidermal blistering and erythematous hyperkeratotic patches in intertriginous areas. Conventional therapeutic approaches include topical and systemic steroids, antibiotic agents, as well as oral retinoids. Alternative treatments include surgical interventions such as excision, dermabrasion and laser ablation. A 56-year-old woman presented with 15-year history of severe therapy-resistant Hailey-Hailey disease. We performed laser ablation with carbon dioxide laser under general anesthesia. Six weeks after treatment complete remission within ablated areas was achieved. Six-month follow-up showed no relapse. In our opinion carbon dioxide laser ablation represents an effective and safe therapeutic option for Hailey-Hailey disease.