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Tables 1: Epidemiology of benign oral mucosal lesions

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The following lists and tables of data have been compiled for those seeking information about the frequency of benign mucosal diseases of the mouth and maxillofacial region.

Table of Contents

Table 1a: Gender-specific prevalence rates for oral mucosal lesions (top 30), USA.
Table 1b: Gender specific prevalence rates for oral mucosal lesions (all lesions), USA
Table 1c: Gender-specific prevalence rates for tongue lesions, USA
Table 1d:  Summary of prevalence studies of tongue lesions, worldwide

Table 1a: Gender-specific prevalence rates (per 1,000 population) for oral mucosal masses in U.S. adults, by gender, ranked by frequency. From Bouquot JE. Common oral lesions found during a mass screening examination. JADA 1986; 112:50-57.

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Rank

Males

Females

Both Genders

Diagnosis

Prev.*

Diagnosis

Prev.*

Diagnosis

Prev.*

1

Leukoplakia

45.2

Torus **

30.

Leukoplakia

29.1

2

Torus **

22.8

Leukoplakia

20.0

Torus **

27.6

3

Fordyce granules

17.7

Inflammation/Irritation

18.0

Inflammation/Irritation

17.3

4

Inflammation/Irritation

15.8

Irritation fibroma

11.4

Irritation fibroma

11.9

5

Irritation fibroma

13.0

Fordyce granuloma

5.2

Fordyce granules

9.4

6

Hemangioma

8.4

Inflammatory ulcer

5.1

Hemangioma

5.5

7

Inflammatory ulcer

5.4

Epulis fissuratum

4.4

Inflammatory ulcer #

5.2

8

Papilloma

5.3

Papilloma

4.2

Papilloma

4.6

9

Smokeless tobacco keratosis

4.3

Hemangioma

4.1

Epulis fissuratum

4.1

10

Fissured tongue

3.5

Papillary hyperplasia

3.8

Varicosities

3.4

11

Varicosities

3.5

Varicosities

3.4

Fissured tongue

3.2

12

Geographic tongue

3.4

Fissured tongue

3.1

Geographic tongue

3.1

13

Epulis fissuratum

3.4

Geographic tongue

3.0

Papillary hyperplasia

3.1

14

Herpes labialis

2.4

Herpes labialis

2.6

Herpes labialis

2.5

15

Hyperplastic lingual tonsil

2.4

Mucocele

2.6

Mucocele

2.4

16

Scar tissue

2.4

Scar tissue

1.9

Scar tissue

2.1

17

Hematoma

2.0

Angular cheilitis

1.9

Angular cheilitis

1.9

18

Mucocele

1.9

Frictional keratosis

1.4

Hyperplastic lingual tonsil

1.6

19

Angular cheilitis

1.8

Hematoma

1.4

Hematoma

1.6

20

Papillary hyperplasia

1.7

Hyperplastic lingual tonsil

1.2

Smokeless tobacco keratosis

1.4

21

Lichen planus

1.2

Lichen planus

1.1

Frictional keratosis

1.2

22

Black hairy tongue

1.2

Amalgam tattoo

1.0

Lichen planus

1.1

23

Buccal exostosis

0.9

Melanotic macule

1.0

Buccal exostosis

0.9

24

Median rhomboid glossitis

0.8

Buccal exostosis

0.9

Amalgam tattoo

0.9

25

Frictional keratosis

0.7

Median rhomboid glossitis

0.5

Melanotic macule

0.9

26

Epidermoid cyst

0.7

Smooth red tongue

0.5

Median rhomboid glossitis

0.6

27

Nicotine palatinus

0.6

Epidermoid cyst

0.4

Black hairy tongue

0.6

28

Amalgam tattoo

0.6

Lipoma

0.4

Smooth red tongue

0.5

29

Smooth red tongue

0.6

Oral tonsil (nonlingual)

0.3

Epidermoid cyst

0.5

30

Melanotic macule

0.6

Black hairy tongue

0.3

Lipoma

0.5

Total

 

174.2

 

135.1

 

147.6

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Table 1b: Prevalence Rates for All Oral Mucosal & Facial/Neck Skin Lesions in 26,333 U.S. adults (97% whites), examined by dentists. Reference: Modified/extended from Bouquot J. Common oral lesions found during a mass screening examination. J Amer Dent Assoc 1986; 112:50-57.

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Table 1c: Gender-specific prevalence rates (per 1,000 persons) for lingual mucosal disorders , ranked by overall frequency.  Modified from: Bouquot JE, Gundlach KKH. Odd tongues: the prevalence of common tongue lesions in 23,616 white Americans over 35 years of age. Quintess Internat 1986; 17:719-730.

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Rank



Diagnosis



Number
of Lesions

No. lesions/1,000 persons

Males

Females

Both Genders

1

Lingual varicosities

81

3.5

3.4

3.4

2

Fissured tongue

77

3.5

3.1

3.2

3

Geographic tongue

74

3.4

3.0

3.1

4

Leukoplakia *

62

2.4

2.8

2.6

5

Irritation fibroma

57

2.6

2.3

2.4

6

Papilloma

49

2.7

1.7

2.1

7

Hyperplastic lingual tonsil

38

2.4

1.2

1.6

8

Inflammation/Irritation

22

0.7

1.1

0.9

9

Hemangioma

18

1.1

0.6

0.8

10

Median rhomboid glossitis

15

0.8

0.5

0.6

11

Hairy tongue

14

1.2

1.3

0.6

12

Smooth red tongue

13

0.6

0.5

0.5

13

Inflammatory ulcer **

12

0.8

0.3

0.5

14

Hematoma

6

0.2

0.3

0.3

15

Epithelial cyst

6

0.5

0.1

0.3

16+

Other #

20

0.8

0.9

0.9

Total

 

564

27.3

22.0

23.9

  * includes 3 men with early invasive squamous cell carcinoma, 3 with severe epithelial dysplasia, and 56 men and women
     with no dysplasia or carcinoma
** includes aphthous ulcers and traumatic ulcers, about evenly divided
  # excludes 64 lesions with ambiguous or nonspecific diagnoses

Table 1d: Summary of the larger prevalence studies of tongue lesions, encompassing 384,130 persons examined worldwide, listed by date of publication.  Modified from: Bouquot JE, Gundlach KKH. Odd tongues: the prevalence of common tongue lesions in 23,616 white Americans over 35 years of age. Quintess Internat 1986; 17:719-730.

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Author(s)



Country


Year



Population Size

Number of lesions/1,000 persons examined *

GT

FT

HT

MRG

HLT

Macro
Comby J France 1912   ??  
Hanhart E Switzerland 1934 3,260 **   67.8  
Seiler A Switzerland 1936 1,625 **   99.0  
Martin, Howe USA 1938   ??  
Rolleri F Germany 1939 3,113 **   67.8  
McCarthy F USA 1941 2,301 # 23.9 21.7 3.9 2.2   0.4
Eichenlaub FJ USA 1941 6,468 # 3.3  
Halperin V, et al USA 1953 2,478 ## 13.7 52.8   3.2  
Rahaminoff P, Muhsam HV Israel 1957 8,305 ** 150.0  
Kocsard E, et al Australia 1958  
Kaplan BJ England 1961 1,953 ##   41.0 72.0  
Togo T Japan 1961 1,8503 ** 83.3  
Meskin LH, Redman, Gorlin USA 1963 3,668 ## 11.5  
Witkop CJ Jr, Barros Chile 1963 1,906 ** 7.0 120.7   4.0   0.5
Redman RS, et al USA 1966 2,094 @ 2.9  
Bhaskar SN USA 1968  
Richardson ER USA 1968 3,319 ^ 10.8   1.5  
Luigi G Italy 1968 3,274 ** 28.7 59.2 11.6 33.5  
Schaumann BF, Peagler, F, Gorlin RJ USA 1970 956 ^ 19.9 53.4 3.1 4.2   1.0
Redman RS USA 1970 3,611 ## 14.0   1.0  
Knapp MJ USA 1971 181,3888 ^^   0.3  
Aboyans V, Ghaemnaghami Iraq 1973 4,009 **   25.6  
Chosack A, Zadik D, Elieger Israel 1974 70,359 ** 19.0  
Fischman SL Paraquay 1974 3,118 #   82.8  
Wyk CW, van Dreyer WP, Konviser JV Malaysia 1974  
Hume WJ USA 1975  
Sedano HO Argentina 1975 6,180 ** 15.0   1.0  
Axell T Sweden 1975 20,333 ## 84.5 64.8 5.8 0.5  
Ghose LJ, Baghdady VS Iraq 1982 6,090 ** 43.0 26.0  
Sawyer DR, Taiwo EO, Mosadomi A Nigeria 1984 2,203 ** 3.0 8.0  
Bouquot JE, Gundlach KKH USA 1986 23,616 ## 3.2 3.2 0.6 0.6 1.6 0.04

Average:

15,365 52.9 52.9 16.2 4.7 1.0 1.9
Median: 3,260 14.5 53.4 4.9 1.3 1.0 0.4

     * diagnosis codes: GT = geographic tongue; FT = fissured tongue; HT = hairy tongue; MRG =
       median rhomboid glossitis; HLT = hyperplastic lingual tonsil; Macro = macroglossia
    ** children
     # patients referred for oral/dental problems
   ## adults
   @ mentally retarded persons
     ^ blacks only
    ^^ army recruits (young males)

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