Demographic and behavioural profiles of patients with common oral mucosal lesions by a homogeneity analysis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to assess the main oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) within a hospital base and to provide an anamnestic, diagnostic model based on homogeneity analysis of some variables.


METHODS
The demographic and behavioural data (i.e. gender, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption and therapeutic drug usage) of 1753 patients with at least one OML were considered. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and multivariate tests of the simultaneous marginal homogeneity hypothesis (SMH) were used to analyse the evidence of any differences between the demographic and behavioural profiles relating to OMLs diagnoses. Statistical significance of P < 0.05 was chosen.


RESULTS
With respect to the model used, patients affected by oral squamous cell carcinoma (n = 65; 3.5%) and oral leukoplakia (n = 73; 4.0%) differed significantly for demographic and behavioural characteristics analyzed, in particular with respect to gender (63.9%vs 50.1% males) and alcohol consumption (29.1%vs 12.1%). Patients affected by burning mouth syndrome (n = 134; 7.3%) and bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (n = 40; 2.2%) differed significantly for chronic use of drugs (45.7%vs 71.6%). Finally, patients with halitosis (n = 60; 3.3%) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (n = 103; 5.6%) showed similar profile, mainly in terms of men (47.6%), drinker (4.8%), drug user (34.9%), ≥60 years old (20.8%) and smoker (6.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge of some similarities in patients' profile could help in positing the likely presence of OML when making diagnosis process by either general physicians or dentists, especially those without extensive experience in the field of oral medicine.
Department of Biopathology and Medical and Forensic Biotechnologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
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D
Matranga
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Di Fede
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Paderni
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Albanese
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Pizzo
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Magro
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Compilato
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Campisi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D059266:Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw / Q000453:epidemiology; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006209:Halitosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult