Studies in the etiology of chronic desquamative and hyperkeratotic lesions of the oral mucous membranes

Abstract

1. 1. Ten patients presenting with chronic oral mucous membrane lesions characterized by both desquamation and hyperkeratosis, six patients with chronic oral mucous membrane lesions principally hyperkeratotic in character, nine patients with chronic oral mucous membrane lesions principally desquamative in character, and thirty-two control patients were studied in an effort to correlate chronic oral mucous membrane lesions with systemic factors. 2. 2. The scope of this investigation included a comprehensive history, oral examination, physical examination, Kodachrome photographs, intraoral x-rays, blood chemistry, blood counts, Kline test, basal metabolic rate determinations, nutrition study, psychiatric interview, and urinary 17-neutral ketosteroid determination. 3. 3. Although in these tests certain differences were observed between the disease groups and the control group, and although the results of certain of these tests suggest that one or more systemic conditions may be concomitant with the oral lesions in some of the patients studied, we were unable consistently to correlate the chronic oral mucous membrane lesions under consideration with any definite systemic factors.