[Digestive involvement in dystrophic recessive epidermolysis bullosa. Apropos of 6 cases and review of the literature].

Six personal cases of digestive tract involvement in dystrophic recessive epidermolysis bullosa are reported, and the relevant literature is reviewed. The study deals with the clinical aspects of these cases (buccal and dental lesions, digestive symptoms, effects on nutritional status; table I), as well as with their biochemical (table II), radiological and endoscopic aspects (table III, fig. 1 and 2). All patients presented with bucco-dental lesions, including two cases of congenital abnormalities: one with malposition and dysgenesis of the teeth, the other with dysplasia of the enamel in a patient whose dystrophic skin disease was proven by electron microscopic study. The oesophagus was involved in six cases, with tight concentric stenosis (2 cases), retrocricoidal stenosis (1 case) and oesophagitis (2 cases). No gastro-duodenal or intestinal lesions were detected. A case of constipation was related to anal involvement. The patients' nutritional status was investigated clinically and biochemically. A search for intestinal malabsorption by means of specific tests was conducted in 2 patients and proved negative. A study of the literature provided data on the nature and specificity of dental lesions. The morphological features, complications and physiopathology of oesophageal stenoses are described The existence of gastrointestinal lesions is discussed. Nutritional repercussions are presented and their causes are discussed. Attention is paid to the medical and surgical treatments of these lesions.