Introduction: Transient bullous dermolysis of the newborn is a bullous eruption limited to friction zones. It appears at birth and disappears during the first months of life.
Case report: Immediately after delivery, an infant girl presented cutaneous bullae on areas of trauma which spontaneously regressed after a few weeks. The histology examination confirmed subepidermal involvement (the roof of the bullae took up the anticollagen IV antibody) and ultrastructure anomalies in the baseline membrane: intracellular vacuoles in the keratinocytes containing fibrillary material, disorganization of the anchoring fibers.
Discussion: Transient bullous dermolysis of the newborn is a rare (less than 15 cases reported in the literature) benign disease which regresses spontaneously, possibly an explanation of the small number of cases reported. The anomalies in the ultrastructure observed in the baseline membrane strongly suggest transient impairment in collagen VII maturation and excretion. These anomalies are not pathognomonic and can be observed in dystrophic bullous epidermolysis. Currently there is no specific genetic marker to established transient bullous dermolysis as unique entity.