Pemphigus Vulgaris
Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition that causes painful blisters to develop on the oral mucosa, skin, and lining of the nose, throat and genitals. The most common area affected is inside the mouth and throat, which can make swallowing painful.
Difference between pemphigus and pemphigoid
Pemphigus affects the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), causing splits within it. The blisters are fragile and easily ruptured.
Pemphigoid attacks lower down, separating the epidermis – which remains intact - from the underlying dermis, creating firm blisters that do not break easily.
PV is of particular interest to dentists because the blisters often develop in the mouth first, before affecting the skin a few weeks or months later.
With PV, the outer layer of the skin (or mucosa) splits internally, and forms blisters due to the breakdown of filaments called desmosomes that hold the epidermal cells together. The desmosomes break down because they are attacked by the patient’s own antibodies in an auto-immune reaction, and as the cell layers separate, the space fills with fluid.
The blisters are fragile and burst, leaving areas of raw mucosa or skin that are very painful and easily infected.
There's currently no cure for pemphigus vulgaris, but treatment, usually with immunosuppressants, can help keep the symptoms under control. This course takes you through all you need to know.
If you're not yet a member of Dentaljuce, we highly recommend you to join and gain access to our comprehensive course on pemphigus vulgaris.
This course, along with over 100 other CPD courses, is available for a single membership payment.
Participant Feedback Review: Pemphigus Vulgaris
Overall Participant Impression
Participants highly valued the "Pemphigus Vulgaris" module for its clear, concise, and clinically relevant content. Feedback indicated the course successfully updated and enhanced professional knowledge, enabling dental professionals to confidently manage this rare but important condition in clinical practice.
Key Strengths
Participants specifically praised the following aspects:
- Concise yet comprehensive coverage of Pemphigus Vulgaris, ideal for effective learning and revision.
- Excellent quality of information, clearly explained and easy to understand.
- Highly relevant clinical insights, directly applicable to patient management.
- Outstanding visual aids, particularly high-quality clinical images.
Specific Positive Comments:
- "Very well presented—excellent images!"
- "Succinct and very informative."
- "Very insightful and precise."
- "It was very helpful."
- "A very good refresh of a rare condition."
- "Genuinely helpful and efficient—highly recommended."
- "Concise and thorough."
Participants particularly appreciated the course’s succinct nature, highlighting how clearly and effectively information was conveyed.
Areas for Improvement
Only minor suggestions were noted for enhancement:
- Inclusion of additional clinical scenarios could further reinforce learning and practical application.
- Although the condition is rare, emphasising differential diagnosis considerations was suggested to heighten diagnostic awareness.
Closed-Question Feedback Summary:
- Met learning objectives: 100% strongly agree/agree
- Good quality: 100% strongly agree/agree
- Useful & relevant: 100% strongly agree/agree
- Engaging: 100% strongly agree/agree
- Pitched at right level: 100% strongly agree/agree
These results strongly confirm participant satisfaction, with unanimous agreement on the quality, relevance, and educational effectiveness of the module.
Conclusion
The "Pemphigus Vulgaris" module was exceptionally well-received by participants. Learners consistently praised its clarity, relevance, and engaging presentation, significantly enhancing their confidence in diagnosing and managing this condition. Incorporating additional clinical scenarios could further strengthen the module's value. Overall, participants found this course highly beneficial, recommending it enthusiastically as a concise, insightful, and essential learning resource for dental practitioners.
Aim
The aim of the learning and teaching materials in this Dentaljuce module is to allow learners to develop their professional knowledge, understanding and competence in managing Pemphigus Vulgaris, in line with their identified personal learning requirements.
Course objective
- to update members of the dental team with current best practice in managing Pemphigus Vulgaris.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
The learner will, with respect to the components that he or she has elected to study as listed below:- Understand how to diagnose Pemphigus Vulgaris.
- Understand the oral and general management of patients with PV.
- Understand the prognosis and epidemiology of PV.
- through achieving these outcomes, provide an improved level of service to their patients.
GDC Development Outcomes
This CPD will support the learner in meeting the following GDC Development Outcome(s): C, D.