DISCUSSION Nonneoplastic cutaneous diseases that result in skin failure cause significant
morbidity and mortality. Loss of an intact cutaneous barrier can result in increased
susceptibility to infection, inability to maintain electrolyte or temperature homeostasis, and
malnutrition secondary to increased protein loss or compromised alimentation if oral or
esophageal mucosae are diseased. The most dramatic examples of skin diseases that
cause skin failure are those due to loss of adhesion of keratinocytes to each other or to the …