Mouth Lesions

CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS MANUAL

Mouth lesions can present in various forms and have multiple causes, ranging from infections to genetic disorders. Here is a detailed description of each symptom and clinical sign associated with the listed pathologies, along with the suggested complementary tests for diagnosis.

Pathology	Diagnosis of Suspicion	Diagnosis of Confirmation
Local Aphthous Ulcers	Presence of painful, round or oval sores with a white or yellow centre.	Clinical diagnosis based on the appearance of the ulcers; biopsy in atypical or persistent cases.
Local Infection and Gingivitis	Redness and swelling of the gums, bleeding when brushing, pain, bad breath.	Clinical examination; culture of dental plaque samples if a specific infection is suspected.
Caries	Pain when consuming cold, hot, or sweet foods, visible cavities.	Dental examination with X-rays to assess the depth and extent of the cavities.
Traumatic Ulcer	History of recent trauma (bite, impact), ulcer with irregular borders.	Clinical diagnosis based on history and characteristics of the lesion.
Vitamin Deficiency	Symptoms of nutritional deficiencies such as bleeding gums, ulcers, pallor.	Blood tests for specific nutrient levels (iron, vitamin B12, folate).
Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia	Red vascular lesions that bleed easily, family history of HHT.	Clinical diagnosis, confirmed by genetic studies for specific HHT mutations.
Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome	Pigmented spots on lips and mouth, family history of polyposis.	Clinical and genetic examination to identify mutations in the LKB1/STK11 gene.