Epidemiology of desquamative gingivitis: evaluation of 125 patients and review of the literature

Background  Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a descriptive term used to indicate epithelial desquamation, erythema, erosions, and/or vesiculobullous lesions of the gingiva. DG is commonly associated with several mucocutaneous disorders and systemic conditions that may carry a poor prognosis and high morbidity; however, there are no clear data concerning the frequency of these disease associations. Methods  We investigated the epidemiologic features of DG in 125 patients and compared our findings with information from a literature review. Results  In our series, 88% of patients with DG had one of the following three disorders: oral lichen planus (OLP), mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), or pem…