Vol.102 No.12 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 102 No. 12 December 2009
Two Cases of Pemphigus Vulgaris Localized in Oropharyngeal Mucosa
Atsuo Ikeda, Takeshi Asakawa, Yasuyuki Nomura,
Ryoji Hirai, Teruo Toi, Itsuhiro Kudo,
Shuntaro Shigihara, Minoru Ikeda and Masahiko Sugitani
(Nihon University School of Medicine)
Intractable oropharyngeal mucosa disease is common and its diagnosis may be delayed if the mucosal lesion is simply a symptom of systemic disease. We report two cases of pemphigus vulgaris localized in the oropharyngeal mucosa.
Case 1: A 50-year-old man showed multiple oropharyngeal erosiones and was biopsied at his first visit. The histopathological diagnosis was pemphigus vulgaris and antidesmogleinauto antibody 3 based on a blood examination positive. Case 2: A 66-year-old woman originally diagnosed histopathologically with inflamed mucosa was reconsiderd for pemphigus vulgaris and checked for antidesmogleinauto antibodies 1 and 3, both found to be positive. Based on the additional immunopathological findings of the earlier rechecked specimen, the definitive diagnosis was pemphigus vulgaris. Both cases were treated by steroids. The numerical value of antidesmogleinauto antibody gradually decreased based on the recovery from symptoms.
We found antidesmogleinauto antibody blood testing to be valuable for diagnosis and for evaluating therapeutic effect and symptom progress. It is also important to check for antidesmogleinauto antibody early with such intractable oropharyngeal mucosal disease patients.
Key words :pemphigus vulgaris, oropharyngeal mucosa, antidesmogleinauto antibody