OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathological features of oral pemphigus vegetans.

METHODSSeven cases of pemphigus vegetans involving oral mucosa were included in this study. The paraffin sections were analyzed by routine light microscope.

RESULTSThere were 5 females and 2 males in this group, with an average age of 52.7 years. The course of diseases was from 3 months to 10 years. Oral manifestations included verrucous or papilliform hyperplasia of oral mucosa, with extensive edema and exudation. Similar skin lesions were found in 5 patients. Under the microscope, pemphigus vegetans showed epithelial thickening with prolonged rete pegs, intraepithelial clefts in suprabasal cells. Eosinophilic microabscesses was often seen within the epithelium. Other microscopic changes were intraepithelial edema and eosinophils infiltration, chronic inflammatory cells infiltration in the lamina propria.

CONCLUSIONThe microscopic features pemphigus vegetans described in this study are of valuable for pathological diagnosis of oral pemphigus vegetans.