Ear, nose, and throat involvement in Egyptian patients with pemphigus vulgaris: a step towards a better management.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) involvement in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is not clear; thereby, the importance of setting routine ENT examination for patients with PV could not be deduced. OBJECTIVE: Determine the prevalence of ENT involvement in patients with PV in Egypt; to modify the routine protocol and achieve a step towards better management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four patients with PV were included. Patients were asked about ENT symptomatology and evaluated for ENT manifestations. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients complained from ENT symptoms (74%). The pharyngeal/laryngeal-related symptoms were the most common. Eighty-two percent of patients had positive endoscopic findings. The most common were pharyngeal/laryngeal (76.5%). In total, the positive endoscopic findings superseded the positive symptomatic findings. More severe involvement was documented in non-smoking patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Full ENT examination as a routine for all patients with PV could be of great value, as it would lead to more accurate diagnosis, therefore improved management.