Desquamative gingivitis: Retrospective analysis of disease associations of a large cohort

Background: Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is usually a manifestation of immunologically mediated mucocutaneous disorders, although it was previously suggested to be hormonally related. Methods: One hundred and eighty-seven Caucasian UK residents with clinical features of DG (126 female, median age of 51 years, range 23-93 years) were retrospectively evaluated. Results: It was established that, in this population, the largest cohort yet reported, oral lichen planus was most common (70.5%) while mucous membrane pemphigoid (14%), pemphigus vulgaris (13%), linear IgA disease (1.6%), dermatomyositis (0.5%) and mixed connective tissue disease (0.5%) were less common. Conclusion: Oral lichen planus is the main disorder associated with DG. However, DG may be a feature of bullous disease and connective tissue disease.