DTUS1110

Oral Pathology DENTAL TRIBUNE | April 20106A AD By Monica Malhotra, India Diagnose this: white lesions The purpose of this quiz, and the ones to follow, is to assist you in understanding the different types of mucosal and soft-tissue pathologies with different colors (red, white, mixed red/white) and other pigmented lesions seen in the oral cavity. There has been a trend to ignore the overall examina- tion of the oral-cavity and concentrate more upon the chief complaint a patient presents. In this process we often don’t take advantage of the so-called “mirror of general health.” We can always take a little more time to over- view the entire oral cavity, including the oral mucosa. Please feel free to con- tact me with any feedback or questions you may have. Part 1: case study A 45-year-old, healthy man visited his dentist for tooth pain and was informed that his mouth contained “disease in disguise.” Upon oral examination, buc- cal-mucosa showed hyperkera- totic white, slightly elevated, diffuse patchy lesion extending toward the commissures of the mouth on the left side. The lesion was non-scrap- able in nature. The patient had a habit of smoking five to six bidis (a crude form of cigarette used in India) a day for the past four years. 1) What provisional diagnosis would you make of this lesion? a. Leukoplakia b. Linea alba c. Lichen planus d. Leukoedema e. Candidiasis See page 15A for the answer. (Photo/Monica Malhotra)

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