12. Oral pathology and soft tissue lesions in children Flashcards
What do you look at extra-orally?
– General appearance, do they look well?
– Skull (symmetry), hair, ears, eyes, face
– Lymphadenopathy
- look at growth chart and see what percentile they are in
What do you look at intra-orally?
Soft tissues: – mucosa
– inflammation
– red patches, white patches
– swelling
– ulcers
– spontaneous bleeding
– recession
– fraenal attachment
Periodontal tissues Teeth, occlusion Salivary flow rate
How do you describe the lesion?
- Type of lesion
If they had an ulcer ask was it as small as 5 pence coin, 2 pence, tip of pen lid? - Size
– Measure with a ruler in two dimensions - Shape and symmetry
- Colour and pigmentation of lesion – E.g. red, white, purple, brown, grey
- Surface features
– E.g. Smooth, rough - Distribution over the tissue
– Location; diffuse or demarcated - Findings of palpation
– Superficial, deep, movable, fixed, tender
What is a macule?
Flat, discoloured spot on skin with sharp borders
What is a papule?
Solid elevations without fluid with sharp borders
What is a nodule, tumour?
Palpable, solid, elevated mass.
Nodules have distinct borders.
Tumours extend deep into the dermis.
Wart is a nodule.
Large lipoma is a tumour.
What is a pustule?
Vesicle or bulla filled with purulent fluid
What is a wheal?
Localised area of oedema, often irregular and of variable size and colour
What are the 8 primary lesions?
Macule
Papule
Nodule, tumour
Vesicle
Bulla
Pustule
Wheal
Plaque
What are the 4 secondary lesions?
Originate from a primary lesion
Scale, crust, fissure, ulcer
What is a scale?
Thin or thick flake of skin varying in colour, usually secondary to desquamated, dead epithelium, eg. dandruff
What is a crust?
Dried residue of exudates, eg. residue of impetigo
What is a fissure?
Linear crack in the skin, eg. athlete’s foot
What is an ulcer?
Opening in the skin caused by sloughing of necrotic tissue, extending pass the epidermis.
What is erythema?
Redness due to increased blood flow to blood vessels (vasodilatation) in that area
What is purpura?
Red/purple discolouration due to extravasation of blood into the skin from a blood vessel
What colour is melanin and lipid deposition?
Brown and yellow
How should you document a lesion?
With written description, photograph, measurement
What are 3 examples of lesions in the newborn?
Keratin cysts
Congenital epulis
Natal/neonatal teeth
What are 2 examples of keratin cysts?
Epstein pearls
Bohn’s nodules
What are epstein’s pearls?
Hard, raised small nodules
- arise from epithelial remnants trapped along lines of fusion of embryological processes
- appear in midline of hard palate
What are Bohn’s nodules?
- Odontogenic cyst arising from the dental lamina filled with keratin.
- occur in 80% of infants
- normally disappear spontaneously
Describe a congenital epulis?
Usually firm, pedunculated, pink, smooth, solitary
Present at birth
Where are congenital epulis mostly found?
Arise from the crest of the alveolus in the incisor region
What is the cause of congenital epulis?
Unknown origin
With proliferation of mesenchymal cells
Affects females more than males
What should you do for congenital epulis?
Normally do nothing, unless it is impacting on feeding
When are natal/neonatal teeth seen?
Natal teeth are seen at birth
- neonatal teeth are seen within 30 days of birth
What teeth are normally natal/neonatal teeth?
- In almost all cases it is the early eruption of a primary incisor
- they are mobile due to incomplete root formation
What is the tx for natal/neonatal teeth?
- Smooth sharp edges
- Extraction
– If extracting warn likely to have a missing primary tooth
– Often done with topical LA and gauze – Or if firm LA and forceps - No treatment required if no problems experienced.
What 3 syndromes is natal/neonatal teeth associated with?
- pachyonchia congenita
- ellis van creveld syndrome
- halermann- strieff syndrome
What are local factors that may cause delayed eruption?
- supernumerary teeth, odontomes
- thickened overlying mucosa, gingival fibromatosis
- failure of root to resorb, dilacerated permanent roots
- ectopic crypt position
What are systemic factors that may cause delayed eruption?
- prematurity/low birth weight- especially if around 28 week mark
- down syndrome/turner syndrome
- cleidocranial dysplasia
- endocrine disorders- hypothyroidism or hypopituitarism
What should you follow if you have delayed eruption?
- know eruption dates
- wait at least 6 months after the contra lateral side has erupted
- if still no eruption- take radiograph
- no obstructions and tooth palpable and present consider excising the gingival margin
- remove any obstructions like supernumeraries- consider space mainainer
- refer, address any systemic conditions
What is the differential diagnoses for an eruption cyst?
- amalgam tattoo
- malignant melanoma
- freckle
Where does an eruption cyst normally occur?
6’s and central incisors
What is the treatment for eruption cyst?
- reassure- often resolve as the tooth erupts
- sometimes excision required to release pressure and allow the tooth to erupt
What is an extravasation mucocele?
Leakage of fluid from the ducts or acini into surrounding tissue
What is a retention mucocele due to?
Narrowed ductal opening
What is a mucocele often due to?
Trauma to minor salivary glands or ducts often on the lower lip.
- history of going up and down
- if on the upper lip with no clear evidence of trauma, refer
What is a ranula?
Fluid collection or cyst that forms in the floor of mouth. Filled with fluid that has leaked out of damaged salivary gland.
Where is ranula often found and what does it look like?
Floor of mouth
- blue dome shaped swelling
- lateral to midline
- associated with major salivary glands
What is a plunging ranula?
Plunging ranula (PR) otherwise known as cervical ranula is a nonepithelial‐lined salivary gland cyst that forms following mucus escape from sublingual gland and its subsequent herniation via the mylohyoid muscle into submandibular space and beyond.
What are 7 examples of bacterial infections?
- scarlet fever
- actinomycosis
- turberculosis
- atypical mycobacterial infection
- syphilis
- impetigo
- osteomyeleitis
What can TB cause?
Lymphadenopathy
What is congenital syphilis and how can it affect teeth?
- infected mother to fetus
- hutchinsons incisors and mulberry molars
What is impetigo caused by?
Bacteria- staphylococcal and streptococcal
What can impetigo cause?
Crusting lesions
It is highly contagious
Self limiting
What is acute pseudomembranous candida?
– in infants seen as Thrush
– White scrapable plaques that reveal an erythematous base.
– In older children, seen in immunocompromised