Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a clinical condition in which the gingiva appears reddish, glazed, and friable with loss of superficial epithelium. DG is considered a clinical manifestation of many gingival diseases and hence not identified as a diagnosis itself. Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is an autoimmune vesiculobullous disorder of mucous membrane characterized by subepithelial bullae formation. MMP can affect the mucous membranes of oral cavity, conjunctiva, nasopharynx, larynx, esophagus, genitourinary tract, and anus and vary in its severity. The most commonly affected sites are oral cavity and conjunctiva. Since DG may be the early sign or only presenting sign of these conditions, most of the times, dental surgeon plays a key role in the diagnosis and prevention of the systemic complications of these diseases. We report a case of a 41-year-old male patient presented with DG. Histopathological examination revealed subepithelial clefting suggestive of MMP. The patient was treated with topical application of triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% 3–4 times a day for 1 month.
Gingival overgrowths found in the oral cavity are mostly due to reactive hyperplasia and rarely depict neoplastic nature. It is a challenge for the clinician to give final diagnoses of gingival overgrowth. Gingiva is a common site for various benign and malignant lesions. Oral cavity is an ideal niche for the manifestation of various precancerous and cancerous lesions. Fibrous growths present in the oral cavity include a varying group of reactive, precancerous, and cancerous conditions. This report describes a case of a 55-year-old male who clinically presented with a localized fibromatous gingival overgrowth in relation to lower left mandibular canine-premolar region that was diagnosed as a gingival fibroma associated with leukoplakia. On histopathological examination, it was diagnosed as a case of proliferative verrucous leukoplakia. Many a times, clinicians face dilemma while diagnosing an overgrowth as it is difficult to differentiate clinically. Hence, a thorough clinical knowledge and a pathologist's opinion become mandatory to give final diagnosis to such gingival overgrowths.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.