Antiepiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid with autoantibodies to the beta subunit of laminin 5 and associated with severe laryngeal involvement necessitating tracheostomy

We report the case of a 67-year-old Korean woman with antiepiligrin cicatri cial pemphigoid. The patient's serum immunoprecipitated polypeptides that c omigrated with those identified in serum from a representative patient with antiepiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid, and was reactive with the laminin be ta3-subunit on immunoblotting. She presented not only with cutaneous, oral and ocular, but also with laryngeal and esophageal involvement. Because the supraglottic stenosis was severe, she had to undergo tracheostomy to maint ain airway patency. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.