An integrative Chinese herbal medicine and ointment therapy for bullous pemphigoid: A case report

Abstract

Pemphigoid disorders are autoimmune bullous dermatoses with a high mortality rate of up to 40 %, associated with many complications during hospitalization, even when treated with conventional therapies such as steroids, oral antibiotics, and steroid-sparing immunosuppressants. We present a continuous case monitoring a patient with a medical history of oral diabetic medication, who was diagnosed with bullous pemphigoid on December 26, 2023. Despite treatment with an immunomodulator (hydroxychloroquine), antihistamines, injectable and oral steroids, analgesics, antibiotics, and antibiotic ointment, the patient's symptoms of blisters, erosions, and ulcerations persisted severely. Consequently, Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) and Chinese Herbal Medicine Ointment (CHMO) were prescribed for the patient from January 5, 2024, to February 23, 2024. After the combined therapy of Chinese herbal medicine and ointment with conventional treatment, the patient's blisters, erosions, ulcerations, inflammation, and the development of new lesions were alleviated. This case suggests that an integrative approach combining Chinese herbal medicine and ointment with Western medical treatment could be a cost-effective option for improving the prognosis of bullous pemphigoid patients.