Treatment of Hailey-Hailey disease with narrowband phototherapy and acitretin: A case report

A Narrative Review on the Usage of Surgical Skin Grafting, Acitretin, and Tacrolimus in the Treatment of Hailey-Hailey Disease

Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare genetic disease that causes irregular blistering. The irregular blistering is also usually accompanied by skin lesions in the affected skin area. The symptoms and signs of Hailey-Hailey disease differ from one case to another. There is no one standard treatment method for Hailey-Hailey disease. However, there are certain treatment methods that do show some promise. This review will analyze the use and fruitfulness of surgical skin grafting, tacrolimus, and acitretin in multiple settings to treat Hailey-Hailey disease. Surgical skin grafting is done by removing the epidermis and a portion of the dermis, if not all of the dermis, healthy skin from a different part of the body, and transplanting it to the damaged area of the body. Acitretin is a retinoid that is a derivative of vitamin A that reduces abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes and inflammation which prove useful for helping skin diseases. Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressive drug that works by limiting the activity of the immune system to prevent it from producing substances that contribute to the redness and dryness of the skin, making it a candidate to be used for Hailey-Hailey disease treatment. The understood results of tacrolimus, acitretin, and surgical skin grafting on Hailey-Hailey disease are very limited and should be given more attention by healthcare leaders to the potential outcomes of these treatments on patients who have Hailey-Hailey disease.

Botulinum toxin in treating Hailey-Hailey disease: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare disorder characterized by recurrent painful blistering, erosions, maceration in the intertriginous regions. Botulinum toxin has been used in the treatment of Hailey-Hailey disease.

AIMS

This study aimed to examine all published articles on botulinum toxin in the treatment of Hailey-Hailey disease, and to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were used to identify eligible articles on August 8, 2020. The searching strategy was "(Hailey Hailey or Hailey-Hailey or pemphigus) and botulinum."

RESULTS

Sixteen articles including 38 patients described the use of botulinum toxin in treating Hailey-Hailey disease. Only one case had no response, while the other patients all had partial or complete remission. No side effects were reported. Nine articles including 10 patients mainly described other treatment options, and the patients were only treated with botulinum toxin previously. Their responses to botulinum toxin were limited: one was mild improvement, one was partial response, and the other eight failed.

CONCLUSION

Botulinum toxin is not almighty, but a promising alternative option. We recommend botulinum toxin as an adjuvant or supplemental treatment modality for severe and recalcitrant Hailey-Hailey disease. Larger studies are warranted to confirm its efficacy, safety, long-term effects, and cost performance.

Recurrent Ulcerations in an 84-Year-Old Male Diagnosed with Hailey-Hailey Disease

Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD), or familial benign chronic pemphigus, is a rare inherited acantholytic dermatosis. It is an autosomal dominant disease affecting the intertriginous areas. HHD has been characterized by flaccid blisters, erosions, and macerations that are limited to flexural (friction-prone) areas. The painful blisters and erosions significantly decrease patients' quality of life. There are multiple types of therapy related to this disorder. Many of the studies have suggested benefits from steroid therapy in addition to oral antibiotics.

Hailey-Hailey Disease: An Update Review with a Focus on Treatment Data

Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare blistering dermatosis first described in 1939 by the brothers Howard and Hugh Hailey. Its incidence is estimated at 1/50,000. The inheritance is autosomal dominant with complete penetrance, but a variable expressivity in affected family members. Clinically, Hailey-Hailey disease presents between the third and fourth decade as flaccid vesicles and blisters on erythematous skin, giving rise to erosions, fissures, and vegetations. Maceration and superinfections are frequent. The lesions are typically distributed symmetrically within intertriginous regions such as the retroauricular folds, lateral aspects of the neck, axillae, umbilicus, inguinal, and perianal regions. The disease is characterized by a chronic relapsing course with spontaneous remissions and multiple recurrences. Severe disease can be very frustrating and have a major psychological and social impact. Given the dearth of evidence-based guidelines and large clinical trials, the assessment of the efficacy and safety of treatments is difficult. Treatments include topical and systemic agents, and procedural therapy such as lasers and surgery. This review provides a systematic search of the literature with a focus on classical and emerging treatment options for Hailey-Hailey disease.