Intraoral lesion · history of cirrhosis and smoking · Dx?

J Fam Pract. 2017 Oct;66(10):626-628.

Abstract

A 56-year-old white man presented at our dental clinic for routine care. The intraoral examination revealed an asymptomatic red lesion with white vesicle-like areas on the right side of the soft palate. The extraoral examination was normal, and regional lymph nodes were nonpalpable. The patient's medical history included liver cirrhosis and pancreatitis. He also had a 30-year history of alcohol misuse (1-5 drinks per day) and a 30-pack-year smoking history. (The patient had stopped drinking at the time of presentation, and had quit smoking 2 years earlier.) We instructed him to gargle with warm salt water at home and return in 2 weeks. At follow-up, the lesion was unresolved, so a biopsy was performed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Alcoholism / complications*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / etiology
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis / complications*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Palatal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Palatal Neoplasms / etiology
  • Smoking / adverse effects*