A rare cause of gingival recession: morphea with intra-oral involvement

Morphea is an inflammatory disorder of the skin and underlying tissues characterized by an overabundance of collagen leading to fibrosis. The prevalence of this disease is estimated at around 0.4-2.7/100,000 people. When the process occurs in the gingival tissues, it induces traction, which can cause gingival recession. A 19-year-old woman was referred to the clinic for a progressive recession on teeth 11 and 12. A pale, atrophic, linear region extending from her nose to her upper lip on the right-hand side of her face was diagnosed as morphea en coup de sabre. Cone beam computed tomography, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and histologic evaluation were used to assess the pathology. Treatment with methotrexate was conducted. After 12 months, no progression of the recession could be observed.