Oral status in patients with inherited epidermolysis bullosa: A multicentric observational study

To the Editor: Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) represents a group of genodermatoses characterized by skin and mucosal fragility leading to blistering and erosions.1We performed a comprehensive assessment of oral health in patients with EB in order to optimize their care.After institutional approval (NCT04217538), an observational multicenter study was conducted in 3 EB expert centers in France (Nice and Toulouse) and Belgium (Leuven) between 2017 and 2019. The main objective of this study was to compare the oral health status of patients with dystrophic (DEB), junctional (JEB), or simplex EB with an age- and sex-matched control group. Practitioners involved in the clinical examinations were specialists in oral pathology and/or pediatric dentistry.Forty-two patients (mean age, 13 years [range, 2 to 78 years]) with EB (25 dystrophic, 12 simplex, and 5 junctional) and 42 healthy controls were included. Overall, individuals with DEB and JEB were most severely affected by mucosal blisters, erythema, and erosions/ulcerations, which is consistent with the greater fragility of their mucosa (Table I). The localization of oral lesions depended on EB type; in patients with simplex EB, the oral floor was never affected, whereas in patients with DEB the lesions were mainly seen on the inner cheek and palate (80% and 76%), and in patients with JEB, on the lips and oral floor (40% and 40%).