Histopathologic Approach to Oral Cavity Lesions

Diseases of the oral cavity may be either a reflection of system or cutaneous diseases or can be seen as a primary oral lesion. These lesions are inflammatory reactions due to miscellaneous mechanisms, ulceration or erosion, reactive proliferative nodules, precancerous or neoplastic diseases. In this study, microscopic features of the most common diseases, together with their differential diagnosis are discussed. Some of the diseases of the oral cavity have overlapping histopathological findings. In these conditions, ancillary methods such as immunoflourescence or immunohistochemistry can be performed. Deep biopsies from representative areas are essential for proper histopathological diagnosis. Moreover, informing the pathologist about the exact anatomic localization of the biopsy, as well as the clinical findings of the lesion is crucial for a better approach.