title: The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and related factors in 188 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the most important concerns about systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the presence of oral lesions, which in turn is one of the diagnostic criteria for SLE. Regarding the wide range of oral lesions and the absence of comprehensive data in Iran, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and related factors in patients with SLE at three rheumatology clinics in Tehran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive study was performed on 188 patients by observation, clinical examination, completing questionnaire and also evaluating patients' medical records. The lesions explored were ulcer, erythema, erythematous center with white striae or spots, and white plaques. Related factors taken into consideration were age, sex, smoking, frequency of pregnancy, oral health status, duration of disease, medications taken daily dosage of corticosteroid drugs, and the state of disease control. Sampling was done by the continuous method and data obtained were analyzed by SPSS version 16.0 and ordinal regression tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 188 patients, 102 (54.3%) patients had oral mucosal lesions. The most prevalent lesion was ulcer (28.1%) and the most common region involved was the buccal and labial mucosa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With regard to the high prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in patients with SLE, it is of paramount importance to emphasize early detection of these lesions as a mean of diagnosis of disease and faster initiation of treatment.
authors: Department of Oral Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Iran.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Khatibi
authors: A H
authors: AH
authors: Shakoorpour
authors: Z Moosavian
authors: ZM
authors: Jahromi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ahmadzadeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors