Systematik diagnostischer Verfahren bei Mundschleimhauterkrankungen

Diagnosis and treatment of mucosal lesions is an essential aspect of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The (early) identification of malignant disorders is of existential importance for the patient, but benign lesions can also have a negative impact on quality of life and may even be fatal if left untreated, e.g., in the case of bullous autoimmune dermatoses. The clinical symptoms are variable and overlapping, and sometimes confront practitioners with major differential diagnostic challenges. The aim of this paper is to provide background knowledge contributing to a structured approach to the detection, diagnosis, and differential diagnoses of oral mucosal diseases. A standardized medical history and clinical examination, as well as an understanding of primary and secondary lesions, are the basis for an initial classification of the lesion and development of suspected and differential diagnoses. Current recommendations for the diagnostic procedure of bullous autoimmune dermatoses, oral potentially malignant disorders, and oral cavity carcinoma are summarized.