Characterization of oral pemphigus vulgaris in Thai patients

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a serious mucocutaneous disease that be fatal if left untreated. The oral mucosa is often the first site to be affected by the disease. It is thus important that the dentist is able to recognize oral manifestations of PV and refer appropriately. Although oral PV is a well-characterized condition, the disease characteristics of patients in Thailand have not been previously reported. Here, we describe patient and lesion characteristics of 18 cases of oral PV. For these 18 cases, the mean age was 38 years, and the male:female ratio was 1:2. The most commonly affected sites were the gingiva and buccal mucosa, and the duration of disease was approximately one year. Medications previously used included corticosteroids and interferon, and nine patients reported systemic disease. Histopathologic examination with/without direct immunofluorescence was the method of diagnosis in all cases.