Exfoliative cheilitis: differential diagnosis and treatment

Revista Cubana de Estomatología

da Silva Barros, Caio César¹ 

[1] Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal-RN, Brasil

关键词: cheilitis;    lips;    inflammation;    differential diagnosis.;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：基础医学

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Introduction:exfoliative cheilitis is an infrequent skin condition that occurs mostly inwomen, affecting the skin of the lips. Though its etiology is unknown, it hasbeen associated to stress and anxiety, as well as to parafunctional habits.Diagnosis and management are challenging, due to the clinical similarity betweenexfoliative cheilitis and other lesions of the lips, since these are often recurrent. Objective: describe two clinical cases of exfoliative cheilitis, focusing on the differentialdiagnosis.Case presentation:the first case was a white male 21-year-old patient who reported having hada burning sensation on his lips associated to crust formation for two years.The patient stated having been under treatment and being in good general health.Complementary tests were indicated which did not reveal any alteration. Thus,the hypothesis of exfoliative cheilitis was put forth. Incisional biopsy wasperformed under local anesthesia, histopathological examination confirming theclinical diagnosis of exfoliative cheilitis. Laser therapy was indicated, butthe treatment was not successful. The second case was a black female 43-year-oldpatient presenting with spots and fissures on her lips, as well as itching.Complementary tests were indicated which yielded normal values, and thus theclinical diagnosis was actinic prurigo. Incisional biopsy performed under localanesthesia led to the diagnosis of exfoliative cheilitis. The patient was treatedwith topical corticosteroids, with regression of the lesion.Conclusions:exfoliative cheilitis diagnosis and clinical management are challenging, hencethe need to make an accurate diagnosis, excluding other conditions with theaid of complementary tests.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-SA