Is “Drug-Induced” Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis a Separate Entity?

Authors of this literature review reappraise the differentiation of a drug-associated type of LABD.

In the 1970s, linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) was first described and differentiated from bullous pemphigoid and dermatitis herpetiformis, which have some overlapping features. In the 1980s, the drug vancomycin was pointed to as a causative agent. Most vancomycin recipients also take many other agents, which calls into question its role in LABD.

Fortuna and colleagues reviewed the English-language literature on drug-induced LABD published between 1980 and 2010, analyzing cases for accurate diagnosis, confounding other drugs, and likelihood that the suspect agent was responsible. Of 45 studies in 52 patients with drug-induced LABD, 24 were attributed to vancomycin and 28 to other drugs. Mucous membranes were affected in about a third of …

Reviewing Author

Jeffrey P. Callen, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board XOMA; Eli Lilly; Celgene

Equity Various trust accounts

Editorial boards JAMA Dermatology; UpToDate

Leadership positions in professional societies Association of Professors of Dermatology (President-Elect)