Prevalence of oral manifestations in patients with lupus erythematosus in a sample of Egyptian population, a hospital based cross-sectional study

Background: Several systemic diseases manifest themselves in the oral
cavity. Oral manifestations of lupus erythematosus (LE) are associated
with a significantly increased risk of cancer. Dentists who are unaware of
these lesions will possibly miss them. This cross-sectional study aimed to
assess the prevalence of oral manifestations in patients with LE in a
sample of the Egyptian population. Methods: A descriptive study was
performed on 189 patients attending the Internal Medicine Department,
Rheumatology clinic in EL Qasr EL Ainy Hospital, Cairo University. Every
patient was examined clinically after completing a questionnaire.
Moreover, patients’ medical records were also evaluated. The oral
manifestations were recorded according to the WHO guide to physical
examination of the oral cavity and classified according to their
morphologic aspects and localization. Results [DSL1] :
Out of 198 patients, 182 females (96.3%) and 7 males (3.7%). The
prevalence of oral lesions in LE patients was 55.6%. The most affected
site was the tongue 25.7%. The most common clinical aspect was patches,
53%. About 77.1% of the lesions were asymptomatic. 74.3% of the patients
had oral candidiasis. The prevalence of skin lesions in LE patients was
37.6%. The most common finding was malar rash 79%. Conclusions: The
present study emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis of oral lesions
to recognize patients with LE as the WHO considers oral manifestations of
LE a widespread state associated with an increased risk of cancer. Also,
implementation of oral hygiene measures and treatment to improve patients’
nutritional state and health-related quality of life are recommended.