This is a group of important skin conditions and their principal feature is the formation of multiple large blisters in the skin and mouth that burst easily.

The conditions are rare; slightly more women are affected than men. They constitute a dermatological emergency and patients will need hospital treatment.

It is believed that the cause is auto immune; that is, the bodies own defense mechanism wrongly attacks these tissues and creates the illness; apparently because the immune system mistakenly regards the cells in the skin and mucous membranes as foreign cells and attacks them.

Patients require expert care and are at risk of body chemistry disturbances and infection as the blisters easily burst and leave open wounds and the lesions have little tendency to heal.

Currently the primary treatment is to suppress the body's own immune system using powerful drugs.