Drug-induced bullous pemphigoid in diabetes mellitus patients receiving dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors plus metformin.

Background: Preclinical data and reports of adverse skin reactions in patients treated with dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors (gliptins) have increased awareness towards skin-targeting side-effects of these anti-hyperglycaemic drugs. Bullous pemphigoid (BP), sometimes drug-induced, is the most commonly acquired autoimmune blistering dermatosis in western countries, typically a disease of the elderly people with significant morbidity and excess mortality.

Objective: To report the development of BP in five diabetics under gliptin (4 vildagliptin, 1 sitagliptin) plus metformin in fixed-dose drug combinations.