pemphigus

American  

[pem-fi-guhs, pem-fahy-] / ˈpɛm fɪ gəs, pɛmˈfaɪ- /

noun

Pathology.

1. any of several diseases, often fatal, characterized by blisters on the skin and mucous membranes.

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pemphigus British  

/ pɛmˈfaɪ-, ˈpɛmfɪɡəs /

noun

1. pathol any of a group of blistering skin diseases, esp a potentially fatal form ( pemphigus vulgaris ) characterized by large blisters on the skin, mucous membranes of the mouth, genitals, intestines, etc, which eventually rupture and form painful denuded areas from which critical amounts of bodily protein, fluid, and blood may be lost

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Other Word Forms

• pemphigoid adjective
• pemphigous adjective

Etymology

Origin of pemphigus

1770–80; < New Latin < Greek pemphīg- (stem of pémphīx ) bubble + Latin -us noun suffix

Example Sentences

Over the past year her daughter — who was never sick, except for that one episode of pemphigus — had been repeatedly ill.

From New York Times

When the researchers infused the engineered T cells into a mouse model of pemphigus vulgaris, their blisters disappeared.

From Scientific American

She said she plans to send some of the money to a man in the Philippines who also suffers from pemphigus vulgaris, which causes excruciating blisters on the skin and mucous membranes.

From Washington Post

There are several types of pemphigus that cause painful blisters elsewhere on the body.

From Washington Post

If it was pemphigus, no one really knows the cause of it or how to prevent it, but a contagion, again, was apparently nonexistent.

From New York Times