12 Lip Lesions that can Shake your Social Acceptance and Self-esteem

You may have seen some people having severe lesions on their lips and they often get embarrassed and mentally down as others around them, may be friends at school or people at office tend to avoid them. It is not pleasing to see your swollen, blood-patched lips on the dining table or you can have a tough time taking your favorite spicy food. You may already have ruined your day-out or first date with him or her. Thus, it will be very much helpful to know about these medical conditions as it is possible you may be the next victim. The prominent position of lips makes it extremely important to diagnose and treat lip lesions to maintain patients’ social acceptance and self-esteem and for the prevention of morbidity and mortality.

Many different medical disorders that exclusively produce lesions on lips, systemic diseases that pop up characteristic lip lesions plus some others have been grouped under these. Some require diagnosis to be based on clinical criteria although histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis is always a necessity.

01.Cheilitis glandularis

This particular condition is an uncommon chronic inflammatory condition of the minor salivary glands and it characteristically causes lesions on lower lip. Vermilionectomy is normally practiced only in severe cases.

02.Cheilitis granulomatosa

This is a rare chronic disorder of the lips. A painless, persistent, and diffuse swelling of one or both lips can be observed. Small vesicles, erosions, and scaling characterize the condition.

03. Melkersson–Rosenthal syndrome

This is a rare disorder characterized by cheilitis granulomatosa, paralysis in the face, fissured tongue, and less often intraoral and facial edema. The differential diagnosis and treatment are very much similar to those of cheilitis granulomatosa.

04. Exfoliative cheilitis

Scaling, crusting, and erythema of the vermilion border of the lips can be noticed. This pattern is repetitive, resulting in yellowish, hyperkeratotic thickening, crusting, and fissuring.

05. Contact cheilitis

This is an acute inflammatory disorder of the lips that occurs due to topical contact with various chemical agents.

06. Actinic cheilitis

This is a chronic degenerative disorder of the lower lip and long term exposure to direct sunlight causes this condition.

07. Angular cheilitis

This is a common disorder of the angles of the mouth. Reduced vertical dimension, mechanical trauma, Candida albicans, Staphylococci, Streptococci, iron-deficiency anemia, riboflavin deficiency are among the causal agents.

08. Lip-licking dermatitis

This is an irritant contact condition that most commonly found in children.

09. Median lip fissure

This is a condition which is relatively rare and may appear in the lower or upper lip.

10. Angioneurotic edema

An allergic disorder relatively common and is either Inherited or acquired (food allergy, chemicals, infections, stress).

11. Lymphedema due to radiation

Radiation therapy for oral and other head and neck malignancies cause side effects on the oral mucosa. These mainly depend on the dose and duration of the treatment. This condition is a painless, erythematous swelling.

12. Systemic diseases (Crohn disease, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis)

Crohn disease is a chronic inflammatory, probably immunologically mediated, condition primarily involving the gastrointestinal tract. Lip swelling is one of the most common oral manifestations of the disease.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease affecting the lungs, lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system, bones, oral mucosa, and salivary glands. The mouth is rarely involved. Lip swelling may occur.

Tuberculosis may rarely produce inflammatory lip swelling.

Cystic fibrosis is characterized by dysfunction of the exocrine glands. The salivary glands may also be affected. Lip swelling, gingivitis, and dryness are the more frequent oral findings.

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