Anne M Hegarty

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a common disorder affecting 5% to 66% of examined adult patient groups. There may be a female predominance in some adult and child patient groups.1–4 The ulceration usually commences in the second decade,5 although 40% of selected groups of children can have a history of RAS, ulceration beginning before 5 years of age, the frequency of affected patients rising with age. Children of higher socioeconomic status may be more commonly affected that those from low socioeconomic groups.6–9

Aetiology, diagnosis and treatment of oral lichen planus

Oral lichen planus is a common condition which can have negative effects on a patients quality of life. This article reviews the aetiopathogenesis, management and malignant potential of oral lichen planus.

Orofacial manifestations of gastrointestinal disorders

Gastrointestinal disorders are common and occasionally extraintestinal manifestations can involve both the oral and facial tissues. This article describes the orofacial manifestations of selected gastrointestinal diseases and outlines their management.

Aetiology and management of xerostomia and salivary gland hypofunction

Dry mouth can be disabling for the patient and challenging for the clinician to manage. Xerostomia is the subjective perception of oral dryness whereas salivary hypofunction is an objectively measured decrease in whole saliva production. Management includes saliva substitutes and stimulants which may only give partial symptom relief.

Oral malignancy and premalignancy

This article increases awareness of the presentation, diagnosis and management of potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions and conditions and reviews the referral process.

Vesiculobullous disorders affecting the oral cavity

Vesiculobullous disorders of the oral cavity managed by oral medicine specialists include erythema multiforme, pemphigus vulgaris, paraneoplastic pemphigus and mucous membrane pemphigoid. These conditions can have significant effects on quality of life and potentially serious sequelae if not identified early.

A Case of Concomitant Pemphigus Foliaceus and Oral Pemphigus Vulgaris

Pemphigus is a chronic autoimmune condition that can affect multiple areas of the body. The two main subtypes of pemphigus are pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF) which can rarely occur concurrently or even transition from one to the other. The process of transition may be explained by qualitative changes in desmoglein autoantibody profile. We present a rare case of concomitant PF and oral PV and explore the literature on transitions between pemphigus subtypes and whether this case could represent a transition from PF to PV. Furthermore, the realities of multidisciplinary patient management are discussed.