Bullous pemphigoid associated with renal cell carcinoma and invasive squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an acquired, autoimmune, sub-epidermal blistering disease. The incidence of both BP and internal malignancy increases with age, yet the relationship between BP and malignancy has been a matter of debate for many years. Numerous cases have been published that link BP with various internal malignancies. While some analyses of large sets of clinical data fail to show a statistically significant correlation between BP and internal malignancy, others imply that there is a measurable correlation.

OBSERVATION: We report a case of a 71-year-old male with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the left heel and renal cell carcinoma who presented with urticarial bullous pemphigoid.

CONCLUSIONS

There are few case reports in the literature associating bullous pemphigoid and renal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of coincident renal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and urticarial BP. This case further supports investigation for underlying malignancy in patients with BP, particularly in the elderly.