Application of stereologic methodology to inflammatory infiltrates residing in oral mucous membrane lesions. Structural and morphometric comparison of benign mucous membrane pemphigoid and reticular lichen planus.

In the present study, stereologic procedures are employed to estimate quantitatively the composition of chronic connective tissue infiltrates characterizing various oral mucous membrane diseases. One case each of benign mucous membrane pemphigoid (BMMP) and reticular lichen planus (RLP) served as examples to demonstrate the applicability of this methodology. In both lesions which are described clinically, histologically and on the ultrastructural level and which display a markedly different infiltrate composition, fibroblasts were affected and either proliferated (BMMP) or became cytopathologically altered (RLP). The quantitative data presented, besides providing new information, argue in favour of the stereologic approach.