LINEAR IGA BULLOUS DERMATOSIS IN A NEONATE

A newborn black boy had two facial blisters at birth that progressed t o bullous lesions over the trunk, genitals, extremities, and oral and tracheal mucosa. A biopsy specimen demonstrated a subepidermal bulla w ith mixed eosinophilic and neutrophilic, inflammatory infiltrate. Dire ct immunofluorescence showed linear IgA, IgG, and C3 depositions along the basement membrane zone, consistent with a diagnosis of childhood linear IgA bullous dermatosis (chronic bullous dermatosis of childhood ). The skin disease was controlled with combined prednisone and dapson e. This is the youngest reported patient with the disease. Linear IgA bullous dermatosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of blistering diseases of the newborn, and immunofluorescence should b e performed on a skin biopsy specimen.