Linear IgA dermatosis mimicking ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.

Purpose: To describe an unusual case of cicatrizing conjunctivitis.

Methods and results: A 59 year old male presented in July 1997 with a complaint of intermittent redness and discharge of the right eye. Medical history was significant for a buccal mucosal lesion biopsy taken two years earlier that revealed subepidermal fibrosis. Conjunctival biopsy, performed to rule out ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, yielded a diagnosis of linear IgA dermatosis, an unusual diagnosis not often considered by ophthalmologists.

Conclusions: The diagnosis of cicatrizing conjunctivitis is often overlooked. Its importance as it pertains to the life threatening disease of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid is clear.