Background: Autoimmune bullous dermatoses (ABD) are rare skin conditions, that frequently cause hospitalization in dermatology and venereology departments. Their management induces significant costs for the patient and his/her family. An estimate of these costs would allow patients suffering from ABD to better plan the financial management of their disease.
Methods: Our study aims to evaluate the direct medical cost of ABD treatment for patient’s perspective. This was a partial economic assessment, of the direct medical costs borne by inpatients and outpatients between 1st January 2016 and 31st December 2018 in CHUYO of Ouagadougou. For the calculation of direct medical costs, we added the cost of drugs and consumables, hospitalization and consultation fees, and paraclinical investigations (histological, biological, and immunological investigation).
Results: Seventy-eight patients had ABD, with a frequency of 1.29%, 53 complete files were reviewed for the study. The average cost of inpatient treatment for ABD ranged from $160 (dermatitis herpetiformis) to $252 (pemphigus foliaceus), with a minimum of $103 and a maximum of $612. These two extremes were observed for bullous pemphigoid. The average direct outpatient medical cost ranged from $156 to $307. Drugs accounted for 49.2% of inpatient expenditure and 66% of outpatient expenditure.
Conclusion: ABD requires long-term medical treatment and this generates expensive direct medical costs, sometimes exorbitant for patients, particularly in a context where prepayment mechanisms are poorly developed. The adoption of policies that promote financial access to comprehensive and quality care for people with ABD is necessary.

Pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, direct medical cost, Burkina Faso