Linear IgA dermatosis mimicking ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.

PURPOSE

To describe an unusual case of cicatrizing conjunctivitis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A 59 year old male presented in July 1997 with a complaint of intermittent redness and discharge of the right eye. Medical history was significant for a buccal mucosal lesion biopsy taken two years earlier that revealed subepidermal fibrosis. Conjunctival biopsy, performed to rule out ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, yielded a diagnosis of linear IgA dermatosis, an unusual diagnosis not often considered by ophthalmologists.

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnosis of cicatrizing conjunctivitis is often overlooked. Its importance as it pertains to the life threatening disease of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid is clear.