dental disorders
Lip Ulcers and Inflammation
Cheilitis (lip inflammation)
Cheilitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the lips. It may be caused by infection, sun damage, drugs or irritants, allergy, or underlying disease. Inflammation primarily affects the vermilion and vermilion border. Lip Swelling , redness, and pain of the lips occurs; other changes may include cracks, fissures, erosions, crusts, and scale. Angular cheilitis(angular stomatitis) is the most common form; inflammation, crusting, painful fissures, and often maceration develop in the corners of the mouth. Typical causes include Excessively worn teeth or dentures that do not adequately separate the jaws, creating skin folds at the corners of the mouth in which saliva accumulates Candidaspecies (or sometimesStaphylococcus aureus) Iron Deficiency , vitamin B complex deficiency (especially Treatment of angular cheilitis may involve replacing dentures or restoring proper tooth size with partial dentures, crowns, or implants, which helps reduce the folds at the corners of the mouth, and using antifungals (eg,clotrimazolecream), antibiotics (eg,mupirocinointment), or iron or vitamin B supplementation as needed. Other causes of cheilitisinclude Actinic atrophy: Sun damage causing thin, atrophic mucosa with erosions; predisposes to malignancy Eczematous cheilitis: Red, dry lips (sometimes termed chapped lips) typically caused by contact irritants or sometimes by allergens or as part of Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) None Rare types of cheilitis include cheilitis glandularis, cheilitis granulomatosa, and plasma cell cheilitis. Children with Kawasaki Disease may develop erythematous, dry, swollen, and cracked lips, along with strawberry tongue. Diagnosis is usually based on history and inspection. Actinic cheilitis with signs of progression (induration, ulceration, thickening) should be biopsied to rule out carcinoma. Treatment includes petrolatum or other emollients, as well as elimination or treatment of specific causes. For severe nonmalignant actinic cheilitis, vermilionectomy (lip shave) or CO2 laser ablation may be considered. Sun damage to the lips can be minimized through the use of protective coverings such as a wide-brimmed hat and lip balm containing topical sunscreen. 