Immune-Mediated Diseases Affecting Oral Mucosa Flashcards
Recurrent apthous stomatitis is a synonym for…
“canker sores”
Painful ulcers with red halo
Recurrent aphtous stomatitis, or “canker sores”
___% of the population are afflicted with canker sores
20%
Pathogenesis of recurrent aphthous stomatitis
- common manifestation of many disease processes, each mediated through immune system
- epithelial destruction due to TNF-alpha generated by T cells, macrophages and mast cells
Epithelial destruction in recurrent aphthous stomatitis is due to…
TNF-alpha generated by T-cells, macrophages, and mast cells
Proposed etiologic factors of recurrent aphthous stomatitis
- Allergies
- Nutritional deficiences
- Genetic predisposition
- Hematologic factors
- Hormonal factors
- Infections
- Stress
- Trauma
3 categories of proposed etiologic factors
- Primary immunodysregulation
- Decreased mucosal barrier
- Increased antigenic exposure
Minor aphthous ulcers make up what percentage of RAU cases?
> 80% RAU cases
Major aphthous ulcers make up what percentage of RAU cases?
~10% RAU cases
Size of minor aphthous ulcer vs major aphthous ulcers
- Minor is < one cm in diameter
* Major is larger
Shape of minor aphthous ulcer vs major aphthous ulcers
- Minor is symmetrical
* Major has an irregular shape
Timeline of resolution of a minor and major aphthous ulcer
- Minor resolves in 2 weeks
* Major persists up to 6 weeks
Healing outcome of minor vs major aphthous ulcer
- Minor aphthous ulcers heals w/o scarring
* Major aphthous ulcers heals with scarring
Quantity of lesions in minor and major aphthous ulcers
- Minor has fewer lesions than in major
* Major has more lesions than in minor
Location of minor and major aphthous ulcers
- Minor occurs in lining mucosa
* Major occurs most in lining mucosa
Minor aphthous ulcers
- Prodromal burning or itching
- Erythematous macule
- Fibrinopurulent membrane with red halo
- 1-5 lesions/episode
Major aphthous ulcers are also called…
- Sutton’s Disease
* Periadenitis Mucosa Necrotica Recurrens
Major aphthous ulcers
- Deeper and more painful than minor form
- Any oral site but more on lining mucosa
- 1-10 lesions/episode
- DDx includes squamous cell carcinoma
- Scarring rarely –> restricted mouth opening
Herpetiform aphthous ulcers
- Least common type
- 1-3 mm
- < 100 ulcers/episode
- Heal 7-14 days
- Most frequent recurrences
- Any oral site, but more common on lining mucosa
Simple aphthosis
- Few lesions
- Heal in 2 weeks
- Few recurrences
Complex aphthosis
- Multiple lesions
- Rapid recurrences
- Severe pain
- +/- genital or perianal lesions
Diagnosis of recurrent aphthous ulcers
- Clinical criteria
- Histology: non-specific ulcer
- Biopsy excludes other diagnoses
The following conditions must be ruled out in the diagnosis of recurrent aphthous ulcers…
- Hematologic deficiency
- GI disease
- Immunodeficiency
- Drug reaction
Management of simple aphthosis
Topical treatment:
• OTC anesthetics
• Topical corticosteroids
Management of complex aphthosis
Rule out systemic disease:
• More potent topical corticosteroids
• Injected corticosteroids
• Cyclic neutropenia
Disorders associated with oral aphthous ulcers
- Behcet’s syndrome
- Reiter’s syndrome
- Immunocompromised conditions (HIV)
- CIBD (Crohn’s & Ulcerative colitis)
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Celiac disease
- Cyclic neutropenia
Behcet’s syndrome (disease)
- “Chronic ocular inflammation + orogenital ulcers”
- Actually multisystem disease
- Immunodysregulation
- Possible genetic predisposition
- Rare in most countries
Environmental antigens that trigger Behcet’s Syndrome
- Bacteria (streptococci)
- Viruses
- Pesticides
- Heavy metals
Histocompatibility antigen associated with Behcet’s syndrome
Histocompatibility antigen B-51 (HLA-B51) link
Common in Japan, Middle East
Behcet’s and HLA-B51
Diagnosis of Behcet’s Syndrome
• Oral aphthous ulcers - 3 recurrences per year • PLUS 2 of 4: - Genital lesions - Ocular lesions - Cutaneous lesions - Pathergy
Histology of Behcet’s Syndrome
• Similar to aphthous ulcers
- T lymphocytes prominent
• Leucoytoclastic vasculitis
- Neutrophil attack on small artery walls
- Karyorrhexis of neutrophils
- Fibrinoid: smudy fibrin-like deposits of degenerated collagen or ground sub in arterial walls
Treatment for Behcet’s Syndrome
• Corticosteroids • Immunomodulators - Imuran - Cyclophosphamide - Cyclosporine - Methotrexate
Prognosis of Behcet’s Syndrome
• Variable • Fewer attacks • Prognosis good unless: - CNS disease - Severe vascular changes
Common chronic skin condition (affects approximately 1.5 million Americans)
Psoriasis
Etiology of psoriasis
• Immunologic factors
- TNF etc. causes keratinocyte proliferation
• Lesions coincide with T-cell infiltration into epidermis
• Genetic factors
Clinical features of Psoriasis
• Starts age 10 to 30 years
• Persists for years
• Worse in winter
• Symmetrical distribution on scalp, elbows, knees
• Well-defined erythematous plaques with silvery scale
- May itch, be painful, and can bleed
• Arthritis in 10%
• Oral lesions uncommon
- Red plaques
- Erythema migrans?
Well-defined erythematous plaques with silvery scale are observed in…
Psoriasis
Note: it may itch, be painful, and can bleed
Psoriasiform histologic pattern
- Parakeratosis
- Microabscesses
- Long rete ridges
- High connective tissue papillae
Psoriasis differential diagnosis
- Erythema migrans
- Reiter’s syndrome
- Candidiasis
- Psoriasis
Synonyms for Erythema Migrans
- Geographic tongue
- Benign migratory glossitis
- Erythema areata migrans
- Psoriasiform mucositis
Clinical features of erythema migrans
- Multiple well-defined lesions
- Erythematous zone
- White or yellow slightly raised border
- +/- burning sensation
- Anterior 2/3 dorsal tongue > lining mucosa
- Atrophic filiform papillae
- Lesions enlarge, subside, appear elsewhere
- +/- fissured tongue
Demographics of erythema migrans
- Common
- F > M
- <3% of population
Etiology of erythema migrans
• Etiology unknown
• Possible hypersensitivity reaction
• Erythema migrans + psoriasis associated with HLA-Cw6?
- Similar histology
Histology of erythema migrans
Periphery:
• Hyperkeratosis
• Acanthosis
• Elongated rete ridges
Center:
• Intraepithelial microabscesses (neutrophils)
Lamina propria
• Acute and chronic inflammatory cells
Management of erythema migrans
- “Reassurance”
* Topical corticosteroids
Demography of lichen planus
- Middle age onset
* F slightly > M
What is lichen planus?
- Chronic immunologically-mediated disease
- Oral lesions +/- lesions on skin, other mucosae
- Oral lesions more persistent than skin lesions
Skin lesions of lichen planus
- Most on flexor surfaces
- Plaques or papules
- Purple, flat-topped with white (Wickham’s) striae
- Pruritic
- Wax and wane and often subside in 2 years
Types of oral lesions in lichen planus
- White adherent
- Erosive
- Vericulobullous
White adherent oral lesion of lichen planus
• Asymptomatic • Reticular striae - Interlacing white lines - Bilateral and symmetrical - Buccal mucosa > tongue > gingivae • Plaques - Tongue and buccal mucosa • Papules
Erosive (e.g. desquamative gingivitis) oral lesion of lichen planus
- Symptomatic
- Atrophic/Erythematous areas around central ulceration
- Ulcerations of varying degrees
- +/- peripheral white striae
- very rare malignant transformation
Which type of oral lesion of lichen planus is rare?
Vesiculobullous
Histology of lichen planus
• Orthokeratosis or parakeratosis
- Thickness of keratin correlates with clinical appearance
• Uneven acanthosis
• Rete ridges prominent, sharp (“saw tooth”), or absent
• T-lymphocyte zone in upper lamina propria
• Loss of basal cells
• Colloid, cytoid or Civette bodies
What are Civette bodies?
Apoptotic basal cells are eosinophilic degenerating keratinocytes
When are Civette bodies observed?
Lichen planus
What’s observed in the immunofluorescence of Lichen planus?
- Nonspecific: shaggy fibrinogen band along BMZ
* Globular deposits of IgM and complement on colloid bodies in some cases
Clinical differential diagnosis for Lichen Planus
• Hypersensitivity reactions - Systemic (e.g. drugs) - Local or contact (e.g. amalgam, cinnamon) • Lupus erythematosus • Chronic ulcerative stomatitis • Oral graft-versus-host disease
Management of Lichen Planus
• Reticular
- No treatment needed after diagnosis
- Clinical monitoring
• Erosive
- Topical corticosteroids
- Systemic immunosuppressives if necessary
- Monitor for potential dysplasia, SCC
- Monitor for iatrogenic candidiasis
What is Lichenoid Mucositis?
- Lesions with clinical and/or histological resemblance to classical lichen planus
- May exhibit some variation from classical features
Types of pemphigus
- Vulgaris
- Vegetans
- Foliaceus*
- Erythematosus*
- Paraneoplastic
- Drug induced
- Do not affect oral cavity
Which types of pemphigus do not affect oral cavity?
- Foliaceus
* Erythematosus
Clinical features of pemphigus vulgaris
- Autoimmune vesiculobullous mucocutaneous disease
- Appears first in mouth in some cases
- Childhood to old age, but most 30-50 years
- Flaccid lesions
- Nikolsky sign positive
- Painful
- Vesicles rupture rapidly to form irregularly-shaped ulcers as they spread peripherally and coalesce
What is a positive Nikolsky sign?
Firm lateral pressure on normal-appearing mucosa (or skin) produces a blister
Pemphix (Greek) means…
bubble or blister
Nikolsky sign positive in many cases of pemphigus and also in percentage of some other mucocutaneous conditions including…
- Pemphigus vulgaris
- Paraneoplastic pemphigus
- Pemphigoid (all types)
- Bullous lichen planus
- Erythema multiforme
- Hypersensitivity reactions
- Epidermolysis bullosa
Histology of pemphigus vulgaris
• Acantholysis
• Suprabasilar cleft with tombstone basal cells
- Cleft contains Tzanck cells
Diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris
- Exfoliative cytology: acantholytic round epithelial (Tzanck) cells
- Perilesional biopsy
- Direct immunofluorescence: labeled Igs attach** to autoantibodies to desmogleins 1 and 3 arund epithelial cells in biopsy specimen. This creates a fishnet pattern.
- Indirect immunofluorescence: labelled circulating** autoantibodies to desmoglein 1 and 3 create same pattern on animal mucosa