Journal of the American Dental Association, Vol 116, Issue 2, 187-192
Copyright © 1988 by American Dental Association
Juvenile juxtavermilion candidiasis: yet another form of an old disease?
JE Bouquot
and
SJ Fenton
Department of Oral Pathology, West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Morgantown 26506.
Five cases of a chronic, self-limiting Candida albicans infection of the lip vermilion and juxtavermilion skin in young persons are presented. These infections typically appeared as erythematous, pruritic, yellow crusting plaques of the juxtavermilion skin, with or without desquamation of vermilion surfaces. Evidence of intraoral candidiasis, especially loss of filiform lingual papillae, was present in several cases. The disorder mimics the early stage of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis but remains within a few millimeters of the mucocutaneous junction and affected individuals appear (with a possible exception) to be immune competent. Mild trauma apparently triggers the infection. The authors emphasize that a scientifically sound cause-and-effect relationship between this new disease and Candida albicans is not herein established and present these cases in the hope that others will thereby be identified and a firmer causal relationship be established.