Autoimmune blistering diseases in females: a review

Capsule summaryWhat is already known on this topic?
• Echoing autoimmune diseases in general, most autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs) have a female predominance, but the exact level of predominance is unknown.
• Pregnancy raises several complicated management issues for females with an AIBD.What does this article add to our knowledge?
• Review of sex-specific epidemiology and etiology of each AIBD.
• Exploration and explanation of the key factors underlying the detrimental impacts of AIBD on women’s quality of life (QOL).
• Discussion of management issues in pregnancy and lactation for females with an AIBD.How does this information impact clinical practice and/or change patient care?
• An awareness and understanding of the female predominance in AIBDs will ensure more appropriate diagnosis, evaluation, and future research.
• Emphasizing holistic care targeting the debilitating effects of AIBDs on women’s QOL.
• Informing the reader of optimal, yet safe interventions for pregnant women with an AIBD.

The autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs) are a group of heterogeneous skin diseases with autoantibodies directed against structural proteins in the skin. A new interest in the female bias towards autoimmune diseases in general has led to our attention to focus on how and why this female bias manifests in AIBD. The authors aim to review and explore the various aspects of AIBD affecting females more than males, including the higher prevalence, worse quality of life, and complex management issues such as pregnancy and lactation.