Oral white sponge naevus: response to antibiotic therapy

White sponge naevus is a rare benign inherited disorder of the mucous membranes, principally the oral mucosa. Although the condition is painless, patients are often symptomatic, complaining of an altered texture of the mucosa or that the lesions are unaesthetic. No standard treatment for the condition exists although numerous treatments have been tried. We now report on six patients who were prescribed systemic antibiotic therapy; three were adult men aged 24 years, 32 years, and 52 years, one an 11-year-old woman, one a 6-year-old woman (daughter of the 32-year-old man) and an 18-month-old boy (son of the 24-year-old man). Four responded as judged by clinical examination, although not the 6-year-old female or the 18-month-old male; the discontinuation of therapy then resulted in clinical recurrence in those who had responded, but long-term low dose treatment maintained the remission.