Prediction of survival for patients with pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus: a retrospective cohort study

Background Factors associated with survival in pemphigus have not yet been thoroughly addressed. Therefore, in the present study, risk factors for overall mortality in a large group of patients with pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus were investigated. Methods A retrospective hospital-based cohort study was carried out, between October 1998 and November 2012, in the Department of Dermatology of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The investigated prognostic endpoint was the overall survival of the patients. Results A total of 130 patients were studied (108 with pemphigus vulgaris and 22 with pemphigus foliaceus). In pemphigus vulgaris group, univariate analysis found a statistically significant association between the age of onset ≥ 65 years (p