Oral Pathology in the Pediatric Patient

Book excerpt: This book is a practical, user-friendly guide to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the oral mucosal lesions most frequently encountered in pediatric patients. For each entity, a characteristic clinical photograph is provided, the clinical appearance is concisely described, and guidance is offered on differential diagnosis and treatment options. Oral indications of systemic diseases are addressed in a separate section, and mucosal indicators of drug use, sexual abuse, and eating disorders are also identified. Oral lesions are a relatively common occurrence in the pediatric population. Fortunately, most of these lesions are transient and can be diagnosed clinically; examples include aphthous ulcers, traumatic ulcers, and lesions of infectious etiology such as viral lesions and candidiasis. There are also a number of mucosal lesions, such as mucoceles and viral papillomas, that require biopsy for diagnosis and/or surgical excision for treatment. This book will assist the practitioner in diagnosing and treating both transient and persistent mucosal lesions.