Pemphigus vulgaris exhibiting Koebner phenomenon

A Listing of Skin Conditions Exhibiting the Koebner and Pseudo-Koebner Phenomena with Eliciting Stimuli

Background:

The Koebner phenomenon was first described in 1872. It occurs after a variety of traumatic insults. New examples of koebnerization are reported each decade.

Objective:

We have compiled, for the first time in the dermatologic literature, an extensive list of the cutaneous diseases reported to demonstrate koebnerization, correlated in each case with the precise source of trauma. Cutaneous diseases reported to show a pseudo-Koebner phenomenon and the corresponding mechanism of trauma are also detailed.

Methods:

A search and review of the English language literature on MEDLINE was made to identify cutaneous diseases exhibiting the Koebner phenomenon and the correlated mechanism of trauma.

Results:

Results of our efforts are cataloged in table format.

Conclusion:

We present an extensive list of cutaneous diseases reported to exhibit the Koebner and pseudo-Koebner phenomena, correlating each entry with the mechanism of trauma.

[Pemphigus vulgaris beginning as the Koebner phenomenon]

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease characterized by acantholysis and intraepidermal bullae formation. The isomorphic Koebner phenomenon is a response to different stimuli, and it has been described in many skin disorders. An association between the two has rarely been described. We present a case of pemphigus vulgaris that appeared over surgical scars. Pemphigus vulgaris over scars is very rare. In our case, the reactivation of the pemphigus antigens in the surgical scar probably caused a generalized autoantibody response, with the formation of bullae on the patient's trunk.