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Pemphigus: the types, the signs, what causes it, getting a diagnosis, treatment, and living with it
For anyone with blisters or sores in the mouth or on the skin that will not go away; for anyone just told they have pemphigus; and for the people who care for them. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS, part of the NIH) says pemphigus is a rare autoimmune disease that causes blistering of the skin and the inside of the mouth, nose, throat, eyes, and genitals; that early diagnosis is important; and that there is no cure, but treatment can control the disease in most people. This page passes on, by name, what NIAMS says: the types and the signs; who gets it and what causes it; the tests; the medicines NIAMS names, the hospital and who treats it; and caring for your mouth, your skin and how you feel. It builds the words to say to a doctor or dentist, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- Trouble breathing, or anyone in danger right now: call 911 (ours).
- Sores spreading fast, you cannot eat or drink enough, or a fever or sores that look infected: call your doctor the same day or go to an emergency room (ours). NIAMS says widespread sores can lead to dehydration or infection, and some people need the hospital.
- Thinking about suicide: call or text 988, any time (ours). See Depression.
More help
- Skin and the body: A rash, an itch, or skin: find the right page · Dental care · Eye care · Lupus.
- How you feel: Depression.
- Care and costs: Symptom diary · Medicines list · When you need a doctor and can’t pay · Get ready for the appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor, nurse or therapist has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on NIAMS’s Pemphigus page, both parts: Overview, Symptoms, & Causes and Diagnosis, Treatment, & Steps to Take (NIH, last reviewed August 2024), and its Spanish twin, Pénfigo (October 2024). Ours: 911 for trouble breathing or anyone in danger; 988 for thoughts of suicide; calling the doctor the same day or going to an emergency room when sores spread fast, you cannot eat or drink enough, or you have a fever or sores that look infected; not stopping or changing a prescribed medicine on your own; a list of every medicine with when each started; notes and dated photos; asking what each treatment would change, what to watch for and what it costs; and the order of the steps. What we left out: any brand, dose or strength, any side effect or food list NIAMS does not give, whether it spreads from person to person (the pages read do not say), and NIAMS’s research pages. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.