Mucosal Colour Changes Flashcards
What are the different kinds/causes of white lesions?
(5)
hereditary
smoking/frictional
lichen planus (lupus, GvHD)
candidal leukoplakia
carcinoma
What is leukoplakia?
A white patch which cannot be scraped off or attributed to any other cause.
It is a clinical description.
What is the % risk of a white lesion (leukoplakia) becoming malignant?
≤ 1%
What are fordyce’s spots?
ectopic sebaceous glands
benign, no malignant potential
mostly found on buccal mucosa and lips
What is the malignant potential of smoker’s keratosis?
Low malignant potential of the lesion itself (≤ 1%), however still high cancer oral risk due to smoking.
What is an example of hereditary keratosis?
White sponge naevus
When should a white lesion be referred?
Lesion becomes more raised and thickened.
Location of lesion (and no known cause):
* lateral border of tongue
* anterior floor of mouth
* soft palate
Why are red lesions red?
Reduced thickness of the epithelium.
Increased blood flow due to inflamamtion and/or dysplasia.
Why are white lesions white?
Thickened mucosa or keratin.
Less blood in the tissues.
What colour lesion would be more of a concern for malignancy?
Red lesions
Name an example of a large vessel disease.
connective tissue disease “vasculitic diseases”
giant cell (temporal) arteritis
Name 2 examples of medium vessel disease.
connective tissue disease “vasculitic diseases”
polyarteritis nodosa
kawasaki disease
Name an example of small vessel disease.
connective tissue disease “vasculitic diseases”
granulomatosis with polyangiitis
What causes mucosal pigmentation?
External causes:
* tea, coffee, chlorhexidinen
* bacterial overgrowth
Internal causes:
* reactive melanosis (increased melanin production)/melanotic macule (freckle)
* melanocytic naevus (increased number of melanocytes)
* melanoma
* effect of systemic disease, paraneoplastic phenomenon
* metals (amalgam, arsenic poison)
