Oral mucosal lesions in geriatric population- South Indian hospital based study

Introduction: Oral health is important to individuals of all age groups. The oral mucosa performs essential protective functions that plays an important role in the general health status of an individual. As a result of aging, oral epithelium undergo atrophic changes leading to decrease in tissue regeneration and disease resistance, which can expose the oral mucosa to a variety of pathogens and chemicals. In present study, we aimed to document the clinical types of oral mucosal lesions and to study its distribution and possible etiological factors in geriatric population. Materials and Methods: A total number of 5257 patients above 60 years of age were examined and 130 patients fulfilling the criteria were enrolled for the study. A written consent taken from the patients. A detailed medical history and general physical examination was done to establish the clinical diagnosis. Correlation, if any, with etiological factor was assessed. In relevant cases, necessary investigations to establish the definitive diagnosis were done. The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS 22 version software. Results: In the present study, age group of 60-69 years were commonly involved, with a male preponderance. Buccal mucosa was the most common site involved. The common risk factors observed were smoking, alcohol and betel quid chewing. The most frequent lesions found were malignancy, oral candidiasis and oral lichen planus followed by premalignant etiologies. Conclusion: This present study brings to light various oral mucosal lesions in geriatric population, which also highlights the importance of early diagnosis of oral precancerous lesions before it develops into malignancy.