title: Benign lip lesions. A 10-year retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper aims to present a retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients with benign lip lesions managed over the last decade at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology of Theagenio Cancer Hospital of Thessaloniki. It aims to highlight the substantial clinical and histological diversity of the lesions, as well as to present an epidemiological analysis for the specific cohort/population.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the period 1995-2004 a total of 420 patients were managed for lip lesions. Of these, 280 were malignant and 116 benign. A total of 24 cases of actinic keratosis were added in the latter group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the benign lesions, the commonest were haemangiomas (19.28%), actinic keratosis (17.14%), intradermal naevus (14.28%), fibroma (9.28%), papilloma (7.85%), mild and moderate dysplasia (7.85%) and mucocele (7.14%). The group included 17 different histological types of benign lesions. The most frequent site of presentation was the lower lip (56.42%). Post-operative follow-up ranged from 6 months to 2 years (average 15.5 months). There was a single case of recurrence during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Benign lip lesions do not usually pose a problem for the clinician and their surgical management is straightforward. Accurate auditing and detailed statistical analysis aid in disease prevention and help avoid errors in diagnosis and management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology, Theagenio Cancer Hospital, Pileos 4, Ano Poli, Thessaloniki, 54633, Greece. kyrconst@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Aris
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ntomouchtsis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karakinaris
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poulolpoulos
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kechagias
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kittikidou
authors.forename: Chrysoula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsompanidou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vahtsevanos
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Antoniades
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005350:Fibroma / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology; D008047:Lip Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009078:Mucocele / Q000453:epidemiology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D018330:Nevus, Intradermal / Q000453:epidemiology; D010212:Papilloma / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult