title: Chronic oral mucosal ulceration in a 54-year-old female.
abstract: Pemphigus vulgaris most often begins in the mouth but is often overlooked in the differential diagnosis of chronic, multiple oral ulcerations and erosions. Accurate diagnosis requires perilesional biopsy including intact epithelium, submitted for hematoxylin and eosin as well as direct immunofluorescence staining. Early and aggressive treatment with moderate to high dose prednisone in combination with steroid sparing drugs such as azathioprine and mycophenolate allow complete remission in most patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sirois
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bielory
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy