ABSTRACT
Background: Oral lichen planus is an inflammatory chronic disease with an autimmune pathogenesis and unknown etiology that affects oral mucosa, with or without the involvement of the skin and other mucous membranes. The principal histological characteristics are the degeneration of the basal cell layer and the abnormal infiltration of inflammatory cells into the subepithelial layer of connective tissue. Objectives: This study is aimed to appraise if lingual lichen planus (LLP) is sustained by alteration of the oral microcirculation and if this abnormal vascularisation increases the degeneration of basal keratinocytes and the disruption of the basement membrane. Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients with a histological diagnosis of LLP with higher degree of degeneration of the basement membrane, fifteen LLP patients with lower degree of basement membrane (BM) degeneration and fifteen healthy patients were included in the study. The microcirculation of the left margin of the lingual mucosa of all the patients and subjects was analysed with the videocapillaroscopy. The following parameters were analyzed on each capillaroscopic image: c0 apillary loop length, loop diameter, and capillary density. The results obtained by videocapillaroscopy software were subjected to statistical analysis using Mann Whitney U-test (P < 0.001). Statistical analysis was performed using PAST software, v. 1.53. Results: Capillary density, loop length, and total diameter showed statistically significant differences between LLP patients with histologically lower degree of BM degeneration and healthy subjects and a meaningful significant difference between LLP patients with higher degree of BM degeneration. Conclusions: A remarkable increase in capillary density was showed by videocapillaroscopic exam. The increased value of the density could be associated with angiogenesis mechanism and it could be an indicator of the evolutionary condition of LLP. Videocapillaroscopy may be useful for the evaluation of the evolution or regression of the disease.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Basement Membrane/pathology , Capillaries/pathology , Capillaries/physiopathology , Connective Tissue/pathology , Epithelial Cells/pathology , Epithelium/pathology , Female , Humans , Keratinocytes/pathology , Lichen Planus, Oral/pathology , Lichen Planus, Oral/physiopathology , Male , Microcirculation/physiology , Microscopic Angioscopy , Microscopy, Video , Middle Aged , Mouth Mucosa/blood supply , Mouth Mucosa/pathology , Tongue/blood supply , Tongue/pathology , Tongue Diseases/pathology , Tongue Diseases/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to estudy lingual and labial microcirculation differences among healthy subjects and those with Hashimoto's thyroiditis affected by macroglossia. Twenty healthy patients and 20 patients suffering from Hashimoto's thyroiditis were examined. Labial and lingual capiUaroscopy were used to investigate the characteristics of microcirculation. For each patient we evaluated visibility, course, tortuosity and the possible presence of microhaemorrhages, average calibre of capillary loops and the number of visible capillary loops per square millimetre. The investigations of the labial and lingual mucous were simple, non invasive and repeatable for each patient. In Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients it was possible to observe a wide vascular architectural disorganisation, morphologic anomalies of the capillary loops, loosening of the U shape, reduced capillary diameter This study shows that capillary alterations in patients suffering from Hashimoto's thyroiditis occur in the labial and lingual mucous microcirculation. In the patients affected by macroglossia a reduced number of capillary density was observed and it was correlated to the deposition of proteinaceous ground substance.
El objetivo de este estudio fue verificar las diferencias en la microcirculación lingual y labial entre sujetos sanos y con tiroiditis de Hashimoto afectados por macroglosia. Fueron examinados 20 pacientes sanos y 20 que sufrían de tiroiditis de Hashimoto. Fue utilizada capiloroscopía labial y lingual para investigar las características de la microcirculación. Para cada paciente examinamos visibilidad, curso, tortuosidad y la posible presencia de microhemorragias, el calibre medio de curvaturas capilares y el número visible de curvaturas capilares por milímetro cuadrado. La investigación de la mucosa labial y lingual fue simple, no invasiva y repetible para cada paciente. En pacientes con tiroiditis de Hashimoto fue posible observar una desorganización arquitectónica vascular, anomalías morfológicas de las curvaturas capilares, pérdida de la forma de U y reducción del diámetro capilar. Este estudio demuestra que las alteraciones capilares en pacientes que sufren de tiroiditis de Hashimoto ocurren en la microcirculación de la mucosa labial y lingual. En los pacientes afectados por macroglosia fue observada una reducción de la densidad capilar y esto está correlacionado a la deposición de...