Morphea "en coup de sabre": An unusual oral presentation

Abstract

Morphea, or localized scleroderma, is an inflammatory disease that leads to sclerosis of the skin and underlying tissues due to excessive collagen deposition. Oral involvement is unusual and it may produce white linear fibrotic areas with a scar-like appearance, atrophy of tongue papillae, gingival recession and alveolar bone resorption. We report a case of a 13-year-old girl who consulted for progressive recession on the attached gingiva of her upper left incisors. She also presented a hypopigmented line on the left side skin of her upper lip, which continued through the vermilion and the lip mucosa, including the gingiva of the affected teeth. Clinical examination, blood tests, computerized axial tomography, echo-Doppler ultrasound and histopathological evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of morphea. Treatment with methotrexate and systemic corticosteroids was conducted. After 24 months, no other lesions appeared. No adverse side effects have been reported so far.