Recent cases of infants with bullous pemphigoid (BP) prompted us to explore the clinical and laboratory features of childhood BP.

We sought to explore the characteristics of infantile BP and compare them with childhood BP.

All new consecutive cases of infantile BP referred to dermatologic departments in Israel during 2004 to 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. All reported cases in the English- and foreign-language medical literature were gathered and statistical analysis of all cases was performed.

Reports on infantile BP are rapidly increasing. Among 78 reported children with BP, 42 (53%) occurred in the first year of life. The incidence of infantile BP in Israel in the last years is 2.36:100,000/y. Predisposition for acral involvement is significantly higher in infantile BP than in childhood BP (79% vs 17%, P < .001), whereas genital involvement is very rare (5% vs 44%, P = .002). Laboratory parameters were not significantly different, except for a more frequent IgM deposition at the dermoepidermal junction in childhood BP (29% vs 10%, P = .042).

Statistical analyses of published cases may not be representative and could be affected by possible reporting biases.

Infantile BP may not be as rare as commonly stated. Age-related differences in regional distribution of lesions in BP were demonstrated. No major differences regarding laboratory results, treatment, and prognosis were found.