Pemphigus Vulgaris Confined to the Gingiva: A Case Report

Abstract

Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune intraepithelial blistering disease involving the skin and mucous membranes. Oral mucosa is frequently affected in patients with PV, and oral lesions may be the first sign of the disease in majority of patients. In some patients, oral lesions may also be followed by skin involvement. Therefore, timely recognition and therapy of oral lesions is critical as it may prevent skin involvement. Early oral lesions of PV are, however, often regarded as difficult to diagnose, since the initial oral lesions may be relatively nonspecific, manifesting as superficial erosions or ulcerations, and rarely presenting with the formation of intact bullae. Lesions may occur anywhere on the oral mucosa including gingiva; however; desquamtive gingivitis is less common with PV than other mucocutaneous conditions such as pemphigoid or lichen planus. This paper describes the case of a patient presenting with a one-year history of painful gingival, who is finally diagnosed as having PV.

Pemphigus vulgaris presenting as bleeding gums: A case report

“…Acantholytic cells also called as Tzank cells contain round hyperchromatic nuclei with clear perinuclear halo. The presence of these cells can be seen in cytological smear (1,13). Tzank cells were observed in present case.…”

“…The gingiva is the rarest affected site within the oral cavity. A literature search in pubmed revealed only three case reports in the past 20 years with gingival involvement as the first site of manifestation of pemphigus (1,5,6). …”

“…Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune disorder of the skin and mucous membrane associated with intraepithelial blistering (1,2). It is a chronic disease that affects both the genders.…”

“…Gingiva is rarely affected and when involved manifests as desquamative gingivitis (DG) (4). In most patients with PV, the oral lesions are followed by involvement of the skin (1,4). However, in few cases, the oral cavity may be the only site of involvement for nearly a year (4).…”

Pênfigo vulgar na cavidade bucal: relato de caso clínico

“…Suas manifestações acometem a cavidade bucal e frequentemente são o primeiro sinal da doença. As alterações são caracterizadas pela persistência e duração maior do que as lesões cutâ-neas 6 . O presente trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar um caso clínico de pênfigo vulgar bem como a conduta clínica multiprofissional adequada, visando contribuir com o conhecimento sobre o papel do cirurgião-dentista em relação a essa patologia.…”