Early Detection of a Worrying Mouth Lesion

Mr X went to his dentist for a routine check-up. During examination of the oral soft tissues the dentist noticed a red and white area inside of the right cheek. The patient had been aware of some discomfort from time-to-time, but this hadn’t troubled him. The lesion couldn’t be explained and so the dentist made a referral to the local Oral Medicine clinic for a specialist opinion. A biopsy was undertaken. This identified severe epithelial dysplasia. If left, there was a high chance that this lesion would become a mouth cancer. Further care was arranged via a surgeon with expertise in management of mouth cancers. This involved a minor surgical procedure with minimal impact on the patient.

To find out more about this condition read the Patient Information Leaflet (PiL) prepared by the Society on Oral Mucosal Dysplasia.