GENDER DISTRIBUTION OF ORAL MUCOSA LESIONS IN PATIENTS ATTENDING AL-SADER TEACHING HOSPITAL IN MISSAN PROVINCE

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage and gender difference of oral lesions in a sample of Iraqi patients from Missan. The age, gender, educational, socioeconomic, cultural levels, smoking, medications used, and systemic diseases are factors that could predispose to the occurrence of oral lesions. Patients and Methods This study was conducted from April 2009 to March 2011. A total of 266 patients were examined. Of these, 123 were males and 143 were females. The patients' age ranged between 15 to 69 years. An interview was conducted to collect information using a structured questionnaire which was completed by each patient. The patients were examined clinically by two trained examiner, the lesions that could not be diagnosed by clinical examination alone were examined histopathologically by histopathologist in the same hospital. Results Among the 266 patients, each patient had one or more oral lesions. The number of oral lesions was 316. Oral lesions were classified according to the following seven categories: tongue lesions 29.32%, normal variants 26.69%, white lesions 16.54%, ulcerated lesions 12.41%, candidiasis 7.14%, benign lesions 6.77% and malignant lesions 1.14%. Tongue lesions were more common among males 18.05% than in females 11.28%. Denture induced fibrous hyperplasia and denture stomatitis and Linea Alba was more common among females 8.65% than males 6.39%, while Fordyce granule, hairy tongue and geographical tongue, were more common among males (7.14%, 4.89%, 3.76% respectively) than in females. Conclusion Routine examinations of oral cavities are valuable in identifying several oral lesions and this will help establish early diagnosis and treatment and better prognosis particularly early precancerous and other oral lesions.