Desquamative Gingivitis: A Brief Review

Desquamative gingivitis is not a specific disease entity, but a gingival response associated with a variety of conditions. First recognized and reported in 1894, the term desquamative gingivitis was coined by Prinz in 1932. It is a peculiar condition characterized by intense erythema, desquamation and ulceration of the free and attached gingiva. Approximately 50% of these cases are localized to the gingiva, although patients can have involvement of the gingiva and other intraoral and even extraoral sites. Clinical and pathological laboratory parameters have revealed that around 75% of desquamative gingivitis cases have a dermatologic genesis. This review discusses in brief, the disease and its treatment protocol.