Oral Mucosal Manifestation of Lupus Erythematosus: A Short Review

Abstract

Lupus Erythematosus (LE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease, characterized by a wide spectrum of manifestations of variable evolution. Among the various organs involved, the skin is one of the most frequent site, sometimes being the first manifestation of the disease. The frequency of oral mucosal manifestations is variable, between 9 to 45% of SLE and 3 to 20% of Chronic Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Oral mucosal manifestation of LE can present themselves in different ways and their description is varied in different studies. Oral Lupus Erythematosus is histopathologically characterized as an interface mucositis with hyperkeratosis, alternating epithelial hyperplasia with atrophy, changes in epithelial maturation, vacuolization of the basal layer, thickening of the basement membrane by Schiff's periodic acid staining and superficial and deep lymph-histiocytic infiltrate in the lamina propria, which can show focal, interstitial, perivascular location or in a tight epithelial band. The etiopathogenesis of LE is the result of a complex interaction between various pathogenic factors and remains unclear. Several mechanisms are known to participate in the process, such as: genetic, hormonal, environmental, autoantibodies and cellular components of the skin and the immune system. The treatment of LE, including oral mucosal manifestation, is a complex and multidisciplinary process, which is based on preventive measures, inflammatory process modulation and control, organ injury prevention, relief of the symptoms. The oral mucosal manifestation of LE is a rare condition, it could be observed and diagnosed by many health professionals, mainly by dentist, stomatologist, dermatologist and otolaryngologist, knowledge and depth study of OLE is needed by these professionals, thus, the sooner the disease is diagnosed, the better prognosis and quality of life can be given to the patient.