Albuquerque DM, Cunha JL, Roza AL, Arboleda LP, Santos-Silva AR, Lopes MA, Vargas PA, Jorge J, de Almeida OP, Abrahão AC, Agostini M, Romañach MJ. Oral pigmented lesions: a retrospective analysis from Brazil.
Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2021;
26:e284-e291. [PMID:
32856618 PMCID:
PMC8141314 DOI:
10.4317/medoral.24168]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
Pigmented lesions are uncommon in the oral mucosa, and studies investigating the incidence and types of these lesions are desired to improve the diagnostic knowledge of clinicians. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of oral pigmented lesions in a Brazilian population.
Material and Methods
A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was performed. Oral pigmented lesions were retrieved from the files of two oral and maxillofacial pathology services from Brazil over a 45-year period (1974-2019). The clinical data and the diagnoses of each case were retrieved and included in a Microsoft Excel® database.
Results
From 77.074 lesions diagnosed in this period, 761 (0.99%) represented pigmented lesions of the oral mucosa, including 351 (46.1%) melanocytic and 410 (53.9%) non-melanocytic lesions, with a higher incidence in females (73.2%) between the fourth and seventh decades of life. Amalgam tattoo (53.6%) represented the most common lesion, followed by melanotic macule (18.3%) and racial pigmentation (10.8%). Other pigmented lesions included nevus (9.9%), post-inflammatory pigmentation (3%), melanoma (2.1%), melanoacanthoma (1.4%), smoker's melanosis (0.4%), drug-induced pigmentation (0.3%), and melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (0.1%). The buccal mucosa was the most commonly affected site (25.2%), followed by the alveolar ridge (14.5%), and gingiva (11.8%).
Conclusions
The current findings were similar to previous studies with minor differences due methodology and characteristics of the services from where lesions were retrieved. The knowledge of these data may contribute to a better understanding of oral pigmented lesions and assist clinicians to better recognize and manage them.
Key words:Pigmented lesions, pigmentation, melanin, amalgam, oral cavity.
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