Radiation-induced bullous pemphigoid after surgery for soft tissue sarcoma: About a rare case.

INTRODUCTION: Radiation therapy may cause a range of side effects of the skin within the irradiated area. Not of all the reactive effects of the skin induced by radiation therapy have to be related to some forms of radiodermatitis, and when non-standard clinical presentations overcome, it may be necessary to undertake appropriate diagnostic tools to not be in trap of wrong diagnosis.

CLINICAL CASE DESCRIPTION: A 76 years-old man undertook resection surgery after a neoadjuvant radiation therapy for a soft tissue sarcoma of his groin region. After surgery, he developed an acute skin reaction comparable with a severe form of radiodermatitis. Despite cares, his clinical status got worse. Only skin biopsies guided us to the right diagnosis: it was a form of a bullous pemphigoid induced by radiation therapy. The consequent appropriate treatment was finally resolute.

CONCLUSION: These forms have to be recognized in time, to undertake skin biopsies as soon as an evocative clinical presentation appears. The appropriate treatment, which consists in local or systemic corticotherapy, is resolute in most cases.