Oral Mucosal Disease Flashcards
When should a mucosal lesion be refered to oral med for an opinion?
Anything the dentist thinks might be cancer.
Any symptomatic lesion that has not responded to standard treatment.
Any benign lesion that the patient can’t be persuaded is not cancer.
What pathways are there for suspected oral cancers?
2 week cancer referal pathway
NICE nad SIGN head and neck cancer guidelines
Describe the histology of oral mucosa.
Stratified squamous epithelium
Lamina propria
Can be keratinised or non-keratinised
How does keratinised tissue present?
Pale white, as the tissue has been thickened. It will typically not have an inflamed border.
In what ways can the mucosa react to damage?
Atrophy (reduction in layers)
Erosion (partial thickness loss)
Ulceration (fibrin on surface)
Oedema (intra/inter-cellular)
Blister (vesicle or bulla)
How does ulceration present?
White center of keratinised tissue with clear margin of inflammation surrounding it.
List the common tongue lesions that can be considered benign?
Geographic tongue
Black hairy tongue
Fissured tongue
What is geographic tongue?
Desquamation of the tongue, leading to intermittant patchy lesions.
It is often sensitive to acidic/spicy food.
What are the symptoms of geographic tongue?
Possible sensitivity to acidic/spicy food.
What are the potential causes of geographic tongue?
Haemanitic deficiency (B12, folate, ferratin)
Parafunctional trauma
Dysaesthesia
What is black hairy tongue?
Hyperplasia of the papillae, leading to pigmented bacterial build up.
What is glossitis?
Inflammation of the tongue, which can often lead to a shiny smoothed appearance.
When should you refer a swelling to oral med?
Symptomatic
Abnormal mucosa
Increasing in size
Rubbery consistancy
Trauma from teeth
Unsightly
What mucosal lesions do not normally need referal?
Tori
Small polyps
Mucoceles
What are the main causes of white lesions?
Hereditary
Smoking/frictional
Lichen planus
- Lupus Erthematosus
- GVHD
Candidal leukoplakia
Carcinoma
What is leukoplakia?
White patches on the oral mucosa or tongue.
What % of leukoplakia becomes malignant?
1-5%
When should you refer a white lesion?
If the lesion is becoming more raised and thickened
If the lesion is without obvious cause
Why are red lesions red?
Reduced thickness of the epithelium, caused by increased bloodflow from inflammation and dysplasia.
What is erthroplakia?
A red patch that cannot be attributed to any other cause. More of a concern for malignancy than leukoplakia.
Why are red/blue lesions red/blue in colour?
Fluid build up in the connective tissue. Typically darker blue will indicate slow moving blood, and lighter will indicate saliva or lymph.
What is the cause of mucosal pigmentation?
Exogenous stain of tea/coffee/chlorhexadine/bacteria.
Intrinsic pigmentation - relative melanosism, melanoma, systemic disease.
Intrinsic foreign body such as amalgam or arsenic.
What are the causes of localised brown/black lesions?
Amalgam
Melanoitc macule
Melanotic naevus
Malignant melanoma
What are the causes of more generalised brown/black lesions?
Racial/familial
Smoking
Drugs
Addison’s disease
What is a general rule when considering a red, white, or pigmented patch for biopsy?
If it is unexplained, send for biopsy.
If you think a mucosal lesion might be cancer or dysplasia what guidelines can you consult for what to do next?
- NICE and SIGN Head and Neck cancer guidance
What epithelium is this diagram and is it keratinised or non-keratinised?
- Buccal mucosa
- Non-keratinised
What epithelium is this and is it keratinised or non keratinised?
- Palate
- Thick Keratinised layer sitting on surface
Label this diagram and explain
- Lamina propria with blood vessles
- Basal layer with epithelial progenitor cells (essentially stem cells)
- As you go up through spinosum the cells are undergoing maturation , become less purple staining suggesting they are losing their cell organelles
- Eventually becomes stratum corneum where cells have lost all organelles except cell wall and becomes the flattened keratin of the surface
- Mitosis should only occur in basal membrane layer, any other mitosis occurring could be dysplastic
How is the oral mucosa histologically set up?
- Stratified squamous epithelium
- Lamina propria
- 3 gross types depending on function so can be lining, masticatory, gustatory
- Keratinised or non keratinised
- Keratinised can be orthokeratosis or parakeratosis
What are some reactive changes that can occur in the oral epithelium?
- Keratosis on nonkeratinsed site called parakeratosis
- Acanthosis (hyperplasia of stratum spinosum)
- Elongated rete ridges (hyperplasia of basal cells)
What is ulceration mucosal reaction?
- Fibrin on surface
What is blister mucosal reaction?
- Vesicle or bulla depending on size of lesion
What is commonly seen with age in regard to mucosa?
- Progressive mucosal atrophy
What does this picture show and what can cause this?
- Smooth tongue
- Mucosal atrophy on dorsal of tongue
- Nutritional deficiency of iron or B group vitamins
- Predisposed to infection