Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic mucosal condition commonly encountered in clinical dental practice. Lichen planus is believed to represent an abnormal immune response in which epithelial cells are recognized as foreign, secondary to changes in the antigenicity of the cell surface. OLP is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by relapses and remissions. Treatment is aimed primarily at reducing the length and severity of symptomatic outbreaks. Topical steroids are the first-choice agent for the treatment of symptomatic, active OLP.
An unnatural communication between the maxillary sinus and oral cavity is known as oroantral communication (OAC). If this communication fails to close spontaneously, it gets epithelialized to form an oroantral fistula (OAF). The most common cause of an OAC/OAF is the extraction of a maxillary molar or premolar. Spontaneous healing may occur in defects which are smaller in size, but for larger communications, it requires immediate attention and should be treated without delay to avoid sinusitis or any such further complications leading to patient discomfort.
An essential diagnostic challenge often faced by oral physicians is diagnosing soft tissue enlargements of the oral cavity. The fundamental reason being there are a diverse group of pathologic processes that can produce such lesions. Any intra-oral enlargement seen may represent a variation of normal anatomic structures, developmental anomalies, inflammation, cysts or even a neoplasm. Confined to these are the group of reactive hyperplasias of the oral cavity, which develop in response to a chronic, recurring tissue injury that stimulates an exuberant or excessive tissue repair response. Pyogenic granuloma comes under as one of the most common entities responsible for causing soft tissue enlargements.
Geographic tongue is a benign recurrent condition of uncertain aetiology affecting the tongue characterized by loss of epithelium especially filiform papillae giving a characteristic appearance. The clinical presentation may vary from asymptomatic to painful and burning ulceration. The condition is commonly seen in adults but few cases are reported in children. Hereby, we present a case of asymptomatic geographic tongue in 5-year-old male child and with insight on its clinical picture and management.
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