"Plasma cell gingivitis" encompasses multiple entities: a retrospective series of 37 cases

Plasma cell gingivitis is defined as gingival inflammation comprised of plasma cell infiltrates. This diagnostic criterion is non-specific and underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

We performed a multidisciplinary clinico-pathological review of cases previously identified as "gingivitis with plasma cell infiltrates", with assessment of putative contributing factors and critical appraisal of the final diagnosis.

Cases previously identified as "gingivitis with plasma cell infiltrates" between 2000 and 2020 were included from archives from the GEMUB group, a French multidisciplinary network of physicians with expertise on oral mucosa.

Among the 37 included cases, multidisciplinary clinico-pathological review allowed differential diagnosis in seven cases (oral lichen planus n=4, plasma cell granuloma n=1, plasmacytoma n=1, and mucous membrane pemphigoid n=1). The remaining cases were classified as "reactive plasma cell gingivitis" (induced by drugs, trauma/irritation or periodontal disease) (n=18) or "idiopathic plasma cell gingivitis" when no contributing factors were identified (n=12). Clinico-pathological characteristics did not differ significantly between "reactive" and "idiopathic" cases, preventing us from identifying specific features of "idiopathic" plasma cell gingivitis.

"Plasma cell gingivitis" is a polymorphous, non-specific entity with various aetiologies, of which the diagnosis requires multidisciplinary anatomo-clinical correlation for exclusion of secondary causes of plasma cell infiltration. Although our study was limited by its retrospective design, most cases of "plasma cell gingivitis" appeared to be associated with an underlying cause. We propose a diagnostic algorithm to properly investigate such cases.