Frequency of Neurological Disorders in Bullous Pemphigoid Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering skin disorder which occurs mostly in the elderly. Several studies have reported an association between BP and neurological disorders (ND). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between BP and neurological disorders in Iranian patients. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 87 patients with BP were enrolled. They were compared to 184 controls. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS statistical software version 19. RESULTS: Out of 87 patients with BP, 17 (19.5%) had at least one neurological disease. Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) was the most common neurological disease that was seen in 7 patients (8.0%) in the case group and 4 (2.1%) in the control group. The incidence of CVA was significantly different between BP patients and the control group (P = 0.022). Dementia was observed in 6 patients in the case group (16.8%) and 2 (1.0%) in the control group. The incidence of dementia was significantly different between BP patients and the control group (P = 0.008). In this study, the incidences of Parkinson's disease (P = 0.830), epilepsy (P = 0.067), and multiple sclerosis (P = 0.326) were not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The incidence of CVA and dementia in patients with BP compared to the control group was significantly higher.