A Monocentric Retrospective Observational Study Of Comorbidities In Patients Affected By Autoimmune Bullous Diseases

Background/Aim: Autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs) of the skin and mucosae include a heterogeneous group of chronic diseases, which could be associated with various comorbidities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the comorbidity profiles of patients affected by AIBDs, who referred to the Dermatological Clinic of Padua from December 2015 to June 2018. Patients and Methods: A monocentric retrospective observational study was conducted on 157 patients with diagnosis of AIBDs. Patients' comorbidities were investigated during the periodic visits of follow-up and through the analysis of computerized medical records. Results: Among the 157 patients, 40 (25.5%) were diagnosed with PV, 15 (9.6%) with PF, and 102 (64.9%) with BP. Nine different comorbidities were observed, but only two of these were statistically significantly associated with BP: type 2 diabetes (p=0.0142) and neuropsychiatric disorders (p=0.015). Conclusion: BP is statistically significantly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and neuropsychiatric diseases. The correlation with neuropsychiatric pathologies is interesting for the possible bidirectional role in their etiology. The association with type 2 diabetes mellitus could suggest more caution in the administration of systemic corticosteroids, especially in elderly patients.