MANAGEMENT OF AIRWAY-OBSTRUCTION IN CICATRICIAL PEMPHIGOID

Cicatricial pemphigoid is a chronic vesiculobullous disease of the muc osal epithelium that primarily involves the oral cavity and the eyes. The clinical and histologic features are identical to those of bullous pemphigoid, and these features often can be nonspecific for other dis ease processes. It is not unusual for a period of 1 year or more to el apse before a diagnosis is made. The diagnosis of cicatricial pemphigo id requires characteristic lesions and histopathologic evidence of imm unoglobulin deposition along the basement membrane, as well as a high index of suspicion. The authors detail a ease of cicatricial pemphigoi d resulting in airway obstruction and present the treatment required f or both stabilization of the airway and resolution of the disease proc ess.