Eosinophilic ulcer of the oral mucosa: another histological simulator of CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders

Summary Eosinophilic ulcer of the oral mucosa (EUOM), also known as traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia or Riga–Fede disease, is an uncommon benign self‐limited lesion poorly described in the dermatological literature. It probably includes a spectrum of related disorders presenting as an ulcer with elevated indurated borders affecting the tongue, oral mucosa or lip. Histopathological findings are characteristic and consist of eosinophil‐rich mixed infiltrates accompanied by a population of large mononuclear cells whose origins have been a matter of debate. Immunohistochemical studies of these cells have suggested a myofibroblastic or histiocytic origin. We present a 93‐year‐old woman with two episodes of self‐healing ulcers on the upper lip and on the lingual mucosa, respectively. Histopathological findings on both biopsies were consistent with EUOM and showed the presence of large atypical CD30+ lymphocytes. Some recent reports have also shown positivity for the CD30 antigen, raising the possibility that a subset of EUOM could be included within the spectrum of CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders. This finding most likely suggests that EUOM can represent another histological simulator of CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders.