Current practice in treatment approach for bullous pemphigoid: comparison between national surveys from the Netherlands and the UK

Treatment approaches for bullous pemphigoid (BP), the most common autoimmune skin blistering disease, are largely based on national and international guidelines. We conducted a national survey among dermatologists in the Netherlands to explore the current treatment of BP, and compared the results with those of a previously published survey from the UK. Almost all responders in the Netherlands (n = 175) used very potent topical corticosteroids, both as monotherapy and as adjunctive therapy. In contrast to UK dermatologists, the majority recommended whole-body application rather than local application to lesions. Systemic antibiotics were used by > 70% of responders. Half of the responders in the Netherlands considered systemic steroids the first-choice treatment, with the majority also using adjunctive therapy as a routine. Despite many similarities in treatment approach between the two countries, these surveys provide an important insight into the gap between actual and recommended practice at a country level in relation to the best external evidence.