Actinic cheilitis: clinical, pathological and therapeutic considerations

Abstract

Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a chronic inflammation that affects more frequently to the lower lip and is considered as a potentially malignant disorder that could develop in to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). AC is caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, mainly sunlight radiation. Fair-skinned male patients, older than 50 years, who have worked outdoors or have had long-term sunlight exposure are more susceptible to develop this lesion. Their clinical manifestations are very varied; nevertheless, they are not related to the histopathological alterations that can be found. Histopathological diagnosis is the most important predictive factor of malignant transformation, depending on the severity of epithelial dysplasia. The characteristics of the AC are reviewed, so the clinician can provide optimal care to the patient and prevent lip cancer. The literature review was performed analyzing articles from PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases.