title: Prevalence of bilateral 'mirror-image' lesions in patients with oral potentially malignant epithelial lesions.
abstract: Early detection of oral potentially malignant epithelial lesions (PMELs) is aimed at improving survival rates as carcinogenesis is a multistep process and prevention is possible if these lesions are detected at an early and reversible stage of the disease. A prospective clinical study aimed at determining the prevalence of bilateral 'mirror-image' oral PMELs was carried out. Sample consisted of 32 (53.3%) Indians, 23 (38.3%) Chinese, 4 (6.7%) Malays and one (1.7%) Nepalese. All had histopathological confirmation of their primary existing PMEL as inclusion criteria. A total of 70 primary lesions were detected. The most common PMEL found was oral lichen planus. Of these, 28 (46.7%) patients exhibited bilateral 'mirror-image' lesions (n = 42) either synchronously (n = 32/42) or metachronously (n = 10/42). The remaining 32 (53.3%) patients had normal-looking contralateral mucosa. Present findings suggest that patients presenting with oral PMELs are at greater risk of developing a second lesion, most probably in the contralateral 'mirror-image' site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Oral Medicine and Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. siarch@um.edu.my
authors.forename: Chong Huat
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Siar
authors.forename: Michelle Clare
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mah
authors.forename: Praveen Preet
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies