Clinical features of gingival pemphigus vulgaris.
BACKGROUND
Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare, chronic, intraepithelial bullous disease with a potentially fatal outcome. Oral lesions are a hallmark of PV and occur in almost all cases, and represent the preliminary symptom in more than half of the patients. Gingival lesions are very common and, when solitary, often first recognized by periodontist.


METHODS
In the literature, gingival localization of PV are usually described as desquamative gingivitis (DG) and/or as vesiculobullous lesions of the free and attached gingiva; in our experience, early lesions only rarely appears as extensive erythema and erosions.


CONCLUSIONS
PV at the onset may frequently appear on gingiva as isolated blisters and/or erosions mainly located to the free gingiva, very little in extension and hardly to recognize as bullous lesions.
Mignogna
M D
MD
Department of Odontostomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, School of Dentistry, Italy. mdmig@tin.it
Lo Muzio
L
L
Bucci
E
E
D001706:Biopsy; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000473:pathology*; D012008:Recurrence
D004396:Coloring Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes