Autoimmune Diseases Affecting the Orofacial Region – An Overview

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Diseases result from abnormal divergence of the normal structural and functional well-being of an organism. It can be brought about by physical, biological, chemical, genetic, or autoimmune causes. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s defence system targets its own healthy cells and tissues. The clinical signs and symptoms vary depending on the target tissues. Oral lesions such as ulcers, blisters, mucositis, and gingivitis are seen in many autoimmune diseases and may be an early sign, first recognized by the dental surgeon. Objective: To review the various autoimmune diseases affecting the orofacial region and update the clinicians about their oral manifestations. Materials and Methods: Case reports, review articles and original research papers published in various electronic databases like PubMed, Cross reference, Google scholar, and data collected from books are compiled in this review article. Result and Conclusion: This review gives an overview of some of the common autoimmune diseases affecting the head and neck region, their pathogenesis, clinical features, histopathological features and laboratory findings.