Synonyms
Actinic keratosis of the lips; Cheilitis actinica; Cheilitis exfoliativa; Solar cheilosis; Solar keratosis
Definition
Actinic cheilitis is a potentially malignant condition which predominantly affects the sun-exposed vermillion border of the lower lip. While sun exposure is the primary etiological factor, others such as smoking, trauma, and dietary habits may also play an additive or synergistic role. It is a clinical description which is related to a spectrum of histopathological features.
Clinical Features
Incidence
Actinic cheilitis predominantly occurs in male, fair-skinned Caucasian individuals with outdoor lifestyles (Kaugars et al. 1999). Well-controlled incidence studies are rare.
Age
Actinic cheilitis most common in the 40–80 years age group. The mean age varies from 53 to 61 years in reported series, with 75 % of patients older than 40 years.
Sex
The incidence is much higher in males than females (70–97 % male predominance).
Site
The lower lip is predominantly...
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References and Further Reading
Cavalcante, A. S., Anbinder, A. L., & Carvalho, Y. R. (2008). Actinic cheilitis: Clinical and histological features. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 66, 498–503.
Kaugars, G. E., Pillion, T., Svirsky, J. A., Page, D. G., Burns, J. C., & Abbey, L. M. (1999). Actinic cheilitis: A review of 152 cases. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontics, 88, 181–186.
Markopoulos, A., Albanidou-Farmaki, E., & Kayavis, I. (2004). Actinic cheilitis: Clinical and pathologic characteristics in 65 cases. Oral Diseases, 10, 212–216.
Menta, S. N. M., Rivitti, E. A., & Lourenco, S. V. (2007). Actinic cheilitis: Histologic study of the entire vermilion and comparison with previous biopsy. Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, 34, 309–314.
Shah, A. Y., Doherty, S. D., & Rosen, T. (2010). Actinic cheilitis: A treatment review. International Journal of Dermatology, 49, 1225–1234.
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© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Hunter, K.D., Speight, P.M. (2016). Cheilitis Actinica. In: Slootweg, P.J. (eds) Dental and Oral Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28085-1_666
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28085-1_666
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