Oral mucous membrane pemphigoid in a 6-year-old boy: diagnosis, treatment and 4 years follow-up

Background. Childhood oral pemphigoid is extremely rare and usually takes the form of desquamative gingivitis. Case report. We describe a 6-year-old boy who presented with gingival bleeding, pain, eating difficulty, and peeling of the gums. Clinical examination revealed desquamative gingivitis with no extra-oral involvement. The diagnosis was established as oral pemphigoid based on the clinical, histological, and immunofluorescence findings. Symptoms resolved on treatment with occlusive topical corticosteroids. The patient was a carrier of the HLA-DQB(1)*0301 allele. Conclusion. Mucous membrane pemphigoid should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic desquamative gingivitis in childhood. Occlusive therapy with topical fluocinonide may alleviate the symptoms.