Association of bullous pemphigoid with malignancy: a myth or reality?

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune sub-epidermal blistering disorder of the skin. The association of BP with internal malignancy has always been a matter of debate with no consensus reached despite many published case reports and clinical trials. However, we report a hitherto unreported association of BP with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, wherein the patient had a recalcitrant downhill course despite adequate treatment measures with control of skin lesions being achieved only following excision of the tumor, and relapse coinciding with detection of metastasis. Hence, given the clinical behavior, it is reasonable to speculate that the association of malignancy was more than co-incidental.