ORAL MUCOUS MEMBRANE LESIONS. PATHOLOGIC FEATURES.

Lesions of the oral mucous membranes often present bizarre, clinical and histological patterns because of the salivary environment and the complex organization of the various membranes. Diagnosis of oral lesions depends primarily on tissue biopsy, which must be modified in some cases from the usual dermatological technique. Exfoliative cytology has become an important adjunct to biopsy. Congenital, keratotic, malignant and dermatological lesions are those which are most easily diagnosed by clinical as well as histopathological and cytological examination.The first professional examination of an oral lesion is by far the most important because at this time the determination of the correct diagnostic procedure is made.