Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
Technique of Conjunctival Biopsy and Direct Immunofluorescence for Diagnosing Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid
Published on: June 17, 2025
Oral mucous membrane pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris-a retrospective two-center cohort study
A S Sultan1,2, A Villa1,2, A P Saavedra3
1Division of Oral Medicine and Dentistry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Objectives:
Few studies have compared oral mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Descriptive analysis of oral features, extent of extra-oral involvement, and management outcomes were performed.
Subjects And Methods:
Patients with PV and MMP, the latter with exclusive oral involvement at first presentation, were included.
Results:
There were 26 MMP (46%) and 31 PV (54%) patients. Desquamative gingivitis was evident in 84% of MMP cases compared to 28% of PV cases (P < 0.05). Non-gingival lesions were noted in 6% of MMP cases compared to 55% of PV cases (P < 0.01). Management of MMP consisted of only topical corticosteroids in 88% of cases while 12% of cases required concomitant systemic therapy. All PV cases (100%) required systemic therapy. No patients with MMP developed scarring or ocular lesions, and one patient (4%) developed cutaneous lesions. Five PV cases (16%) had oral cavity involvement only with three (60%) developing pharyngeal involvement and two (40%) developing cutaneous lesions on follow-up.
Conclusion:
Oral MMP presents primarily as desquamative gingivitis, infrequently involving extragingival sites, and is highly amenable to topical therapy, while PV is a systemic mucocutaneous disease with extensive non-gingival oral lesions that almost always requires systemic therapy.
