What Causes Redness Around the Mouth?

Oral erythroplakia (oral erythroplakia) is a type of oral mucosal plaque disease in which bright red, velvet-like plaques appear on the oral mucosa and cannot be diagnosed clinically and histopathologically as other diseases. Rarely, it is a precancerous lesion and has a poor prognosis. It is more common in middle-aged men and should be distinguished from inflammatory congestion caused by local infection.

Basic Information

English name: Oral Erythroplakia
Visiting department: Stomatology
Multiple groups: Middle-aged man

Common locations: Oral mucosa
Common causes: Cause unknown, chewing tobacco and alcohol may be major risk factors
Common symptoms: Oral bright red velvet-like plaques

Causes of oral erythema

The cause is unknown, and chewing tobacco and alcohol are two major risk factors.

Oral erythema clinical manifestations

Bright red velvet-like plaques are its characteristics and are clinically divided into three types: homogeneous erythema, interstitial erythema and granular erythema.

Homogeneous erythema

Bright red, smooth and soft surface, no particles, flat or slightly raised, clear edges, generally less than 2cm in diameter, the erythema area can also contain normal-looking mucosa.

2. Interstitial erythema

On the basis of erythema, white spots are scattered, and red and white are mixed, similar to lichen planus.

3. Granular erythema

On the basis of erythema or scattered red spots on the periphery, slightly higher than the mucosal surface, there are granular nodules like mulberry-like or granular granulation-like surface, this type is often carcinoma in situ or early squamous cell carcinoma.

Oral erythema

Histopathological examination: Toluidine blue staining is a simple and quick initial screening test. More accurate biopsies are taken from lesions with repeated positive staining.

Oral erythema diagnosis

Typical velvet-like oral erythema is not difficult to diagnose, but intersexual oral erythema is more likely to be misdiagnosed, so a clear diagnosis is based on the results of histopathology. Clinically, if more than two weeks have elapsed after all possible trauma and infection factors have been eliminated, the red lesion has not subsided, and a biopsy should be performed as soon as possible.

Oral erythema differential diagnosis

1. Lichen planus (erosive type)

Middle-aged women are more common, and the lesions are often symmetrical. There are lesions with beaded white stripes around the congested erosion area, and the border is unclear. The pathology was epithelial keratosis, basal cell liquefaction and degeneration, and lamina propria infiltration zone in the lamina propria.

2. White spots

White patches above the mucosal surface. Pathological examination: Epithelial hyperplasia, obvious granular layer. Spinous layer hypertrophy, epithelial styloid enlargement, and sometimes abnormal epithelial hyperplasia.

Oral erythema treatment

Principle of treatment: Tendency for radical surgery, conservative treatment requires careful and close follow-up.

Drug treatment

(1) Retinoic acid and its derivatives, -carotene, bleomycin, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, and soybean extract inhibitors for the treatment of epithelial hyperplasia .

(2) Drugs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, such as Erigeron breviscapus.

(3) Drugs for righting evils such as Gynostemma pentaphylla and Lathyrus radiata.

2. Surgical treatment