title: In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy evaluation of cheilitis glandularis: a report of 5 cases.
abstract: Cheilitis glandularis (CG) is an uncommon condition of unknown origin; it is clinically characterized by variable degrees of macrocheilia associated with red dilated ostia of minor salivary glands on the vermilion area, which secrete viscous saliva. Histopathological characteristics of CG are comprised of chronic sialadenitis with engorged acinar lobules and dilated ducts; CG also features chronic sun damage (actinic cheilitis and squamous cell carcinoma). These changes may be localized, and a punch biopsy specimen might fail to reveal enough criteria to support the diagnosis of CG. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a noninvasive imaging technique that enables an in vivo en face visualization of tissues with a resolution close to conventional histopathology. Its use allows analysis of the entire lip, without excision. We reported the evaluation of 5 cases of CG based on clinical RCM and histopathological correlation. RCM examination of the lip vermilion mainly revealed a bright aspect of the superficial epithelial layers, which corresponded to labial keratosis. Alteration of the classical epithelial honeycomb pattern was observed in RCM, which corresponded to epithelial changes in actinic cheilitis at histopathology. Round, dark empty spaces intermingling the epithelium, corresponded to the ectopic excretory salivary gland ducts that open their ostia within the lip vermilion. In the lamina propria, the most striking feature was superficial salivary gland lobules, seen as dark gray lobular structures. Our study, demonstrated the use of RCM in the evaluation of CG, showing that a correlation between the clinical, digital RCM images and histopathology improved the diagnostic skills in CG evaluation.
authors.affiliation: *Department of General Pathology, Dental School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; †Centro de Investigaciones Dermatológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina; ‡Department of Dermatology, Hospital das Clínicas, Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; and §Department of Surgical Pathology, Hospital Obrero, La Paz, Bolívia.
authors.forename: Silvia V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Thais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Borguezan Nunes
authors.forename: Sheyla B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Bologna
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sangueza
authors.forename: Marcello M S
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nico
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002613:Cheilitis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012793:Sialadenitis / Q000473:pathology*