Dental Hygiene Lecture: Oral Lesions and Pigmentations

Vocabulary flashcards covering oral pathology, including premalignant conditions, viral warts, pigmented lesions, and variations of normal oral anatomy.

Betel Quid

A mixture of tobacco, areca nut, flavoring, and slaked lime common in India, Southeast Asia, Pakistan, China, and the Pacific Islands; it is considered premalignant and highly addictive.

Arecoline

A substance found in areca nuts that is released when the nuts are chewed or ground.

Areca Nuts

Nuts with a fibrous core that are chewed and produce a red color that stains teeth and tissues, often producing a sense of euphoria.

Oral Submucomal Fibrosis

A premalignant condition where fibroblasts promote thick bands, causing fiber tissues in the oral cavity to become more dense; risk factors include genetic predisposition and nutritional deficiency.

Intradermal Nevus

A nevus or mole located in the connective tissue, also known as an intramucosal nevus when found in oral tissue.

Compound Nevus

A nevus located in the basement membrane and underlying dermis.

Junctional Nevus

A nevus located between the epithelium and connective tissue (CT).

Blue Nevus

The second most frequently seen melanocyte orally, usually occurring on the palate as pigmented deep blue to purple cells; it must be removed surgically to differentiate it from melanoma.

Oral Melanotic Macule (Focal Melanosis)

A lesion most common on the lip that affects $3\%$ of the population; intraoral lesions usually occur in patients older than $40$.

Laugier-Hunziker S Syndrome

An acquired, benign functional alteration of melanocytes inducing increased synthesis and transport of melanosomes; characterized by pigmented macules $1-5\,mm$ in size, often affecting the buccal mucosa, palate, lips, and fingernails in $50\%$ of patients.

Melanocytes

Cells found in the basal cell layer that produce melanin to protect the skin from sun rays; all individuals have a comparable number of these cells.

Ephelides

Commonly known as freckles, these are seen in children and can change in pigmentation depending on sun exposure.

Solar Lentigo

Pigmented lesions seen in adults that persist indefinitely even with sun protection.

Oral Squamous Papilloma (Oral Wart)

A lesion capable of transmitting HPV that can be spread by autoculation; it affects $7-10\%$ of the population.

Verruca Vulgaris

Commonly known as the common wart, it is caused by low-risk HPV types $1$, $2$, $4$, $26$, $27$, $40$, and $41$; often spread through autoinoculation from fingers to the mouth.

Condyloma Acuminatumc

Also called genital or venereal warts, these are transmitted by direct oral-oral or oral-genital contact.

Focal Epithelial Hyperplasia (Heck Disease)

A condition caused by low-risk HPV types $13$ & $32$, transmitted through a break in the skin; lesions appear pink to whitish, translucent, and cauliflower-like on the lips, tongue, and buccal mucosa.

Geographic Tongue (Migratory Stomatitis)

An inflammatory condition where the red portion represents depapillation of filiform papillae and the white portion represents the extension or border of inflammation.

Lichen Planus

An immune-related condition with a latus work appearance and striations in tissue known as Wickham striate; it is often found on the buccal mucosa.

Erosive Lichen Planus

The most aggressive form of lichen planus, characterized by ulcerative stripping of the epithelium and a higher risk of transforming into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Diascopy

A clinical test where a lesion is palpated to determine vascular origin; if blood leaves the lesion, it is considered vascular.

Fordyce Granules

Ectopic normal sebaceous glands evident in $80\%$ of the population, appearing as asymptomatic, bilaterally symmetrical yellow-white spots on the buccal mucosa or lower lip.

Frictional Keratosis

An adaptive response (callus) to physical irritation, such as clenching or grinding, resulting in whitish plaques or overproduction of keratin.

Leukoplakia

A clinical term used for a white lesion that is undiagnosed and undefiable after attempts to label the condition.

Hairy Luekoplakia

A white lesion that does not rub off, secondary to immunosuppression (HIV/AIDS or organ transplant) and associated with the Ebstein-Barr-Virus (EBV).