Chronic desquamative gingivitis – a case report

Desquamative gingivitis is a clinical term associated with a variety of clinical conditions and is characterized by the erythematous gingiva, desquamation, ulceration and erosion of gingival epithelium. It may be a manifestation of a variety of dermato - mucous disorders and conditions such as dermatitis, bullous pemphigoid, pemphigus, psoriasis, cicatricial, herpetiformis, lichen planus, erythema mulitiformae. of all the diseases entitled, Lichen Planus is a relatively most common disorder affecting the skin as well as the mucous membrane. The lesions of oral lichen planus have myriad but distinct morphology and as they mimic many other mucocutaneous disorders, many lesions of oral lichen planus are diagnosed wrongly. This case report describes a case of desquamative gingivitis which was diagnosed with erosive lichen planus based on symptoms, clinical findings and histological examination.