title: Oral manifestations of lupus erythematosus - report of two cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lupus erythematosus is a serious autoimmune disease, which can cause oral mucosal lesions, manifesting as white striae and erythematous, atrophic and hyperkeratotic areas, as well as erosions and ulcerations. Sometimes, these signs can be misdiagnosed as other oral diseases such as lichen planus. Also, on histopathological examination with haematoxylin-eosin staining (HE), the features of these diseases can overlap.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors report here two cases of oral lesions of lupus erythematosus, with a discussion of their clinical features and the process of differential diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is crucial to consider in the diagnostic process for lupus erythematosus the whole clinical information as well as haematological tests, histopathological features in HE and direct immunofluorescence, not only at first evaluation but also during patient follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Dental College, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Fernanda G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Salum
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cherubini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008047:Lip Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008179:Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D010159:Palate / Q000473:pathology
keywords: direct immunofluorescence; discoid lupus erythematosus; lupus erythematosus; oral lesions