British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 46, Issue 5 , Pages 358-366, July 2008

Oral mucosal diseases: Mucous membrane pemphigoid

  • Crispian Scully

      Affiliations

    • University College London, Eastman Dental Institute, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK. Tel.: +44 20 7915 1038; fax: +44 20 7915 1039.
    • ,
  • Lorenzo Lo Muzio

      Affiliations

    • Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Italy

Accepted 19 July 2007. published online 05 September 2007.

Abstract 

Subepithelial vesiculobullous conditions are chronic autoimmune disorders that arise from reactions directed against components of the hemidesmosomes or basement membrane zones (BMZ) of stratified squamous epithelium to which the term immune-mediated subepithelial blistering diseases (IMSEBD) has been given. Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is the most common, but variants do exist.

Non-immune disorders that involve these epithelial components typically have a genetic basis—the main example being epidermolysis bullosa.

All subepithelial vesiculobullous disorders present as blisters and erosions, and diagnosis must be confirmed by biopsy examination with immunostaining, sometimes supplemented by other investigations.

No single treatment reliably controls all subepithelial vesiculobullous disorders; the immunological differences within IMSEBD may account for differences in responses to treatment. Currently, as well as improving oral hygiene, immunomodulatory treatment is used to control the oral lesions of MMP, but it is not known if its specific subsets reliably respond to different agents.

Keywords: Pemphigoid, Skin, Autoimmune, Corticosteroids, Immunosuppressants, Oral

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PII: S0266-4356(07)00373-7

doi:10.1016/j.bjoms.2007.07.200

British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 46, Issue 5 , Pages 358-366, July 2008

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