Pemphigus vulgaris and stress: A psychological evaluation of 17 cases

Method: The Amiel questionnaire was used to evaluate the possibility of stress-related onset or exacerbation of the condition of 3 groups of hospitalized patients: a group whose pemphigus vulgaris was attributed to emotional stress, a group that developed pemphigus from other causes including drugs and neoplasia and with no known stress, and a group of psoriasis vulgaris patients with psychogenic background who served as controls. Results: The study failed to confirm a relationship between pemphigus vulgaris and stress, although 3 questions on the Amiel questionnaire did elicit differences between the 3 groups. However, these were not large enough to draw conclusions. Discussion: The reasons for this failure are discussed, including the small sample size and the possible unsuitability of the Amiel questionnaire for evaluating dermatology patients.