OBJECTIVE To review the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of the most common, potentially lethal, lip lesions: leukoplakia, actinic cheilitis, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). QUALITY OF EVIDENCE MEDLINE: was searched from 1966 to 2002 for English-language articles on prevalence of lip lesions. No articles for a family physician audience were found. MEDLINE was sear...

Actinic cheilitis is a potentially malignant lip lesion caused by excessive and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which can lead to histomorphological alterations indicative of abnormal cell differentiation. In this pathology, varying degrees of epithelial dysplasia may be found. There are few published studies regarding the p53 and MDM2 proteins in actinic cheilitis. Fifty-eight cas...

Lip inflammation may manifest as mainly reversible cheilitis, irreversible, or cheilitis connected to dermatoses systemic diseases. Therefore, knowing a patient’s medical history is important, especially whether their lip lesions are temporary, recurrent, persistent. Sometimes temporary contributing factors, such climate and weather conditions, can be identified avoided—exposure extreme conditi...

Actinic cheilitis is a subtype of actinic keratosis that mainly affects the lower lip and has a higher risk of malignant transformation. Its location on the labial mucosa influences the therapeutic approach. Vermilionectomy requires local or general anesthetic and is associated with a risk of an unsightly scar, and the treatment with 5-fluorouracil or imiquimod lasts for several weeks and the i...

Cheilitis granulomatosa is characterized by granulomatous lip swelling. We report a case of a 13-year-old girl who presented with orofacial swelling and arthralgia, who eventually was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which was successfully treated with infliximab and azathioprine combination therapy. Recurrent or persistent orofacial swelling should prompt consideration of cheilitis granulomatos...

Granulomatous cheilitis is a rare, idiopathic, inflammatory disorder which usually affects young adults. It is characterized by persistent, diffuse, nontender, soft-to-firm swelling of one or both lips. Various treatment modalities have been suggested. In spite of the best treatment, recurrence of the disease is very common. We report two cases of granulomatous cheilitis treated with a combinat...

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common, sun-induced, pre-malignant lesion with a strong likelihood of progressing to a malignancy. The reported risk of AK progressing to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) varies from less than 1% to 20%. Clinically, induration, pain, large size, marked hyperkeratosis, ulceration, bleeding, rapid growth, and recurrence or persistence may be markers of AK progression into...

BACKGROUND The studies found in the literature associate the immunoexpression of hMLH1 and hMSH2 proteins with histologic aspects, but do not correlate it with clinical and epidemiological data. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the immunoexpression of hMLH1 and hMSH2 in actinic cheilitis, correlating it with clinical characteristics. METHODS We analyzed 40 cases. Histological and immunohistochemical a...