Presenting symptoms:
(1) pain, burning or other oral discomfort
(2) blanching of the cheek and soft palate
(3) palpable fibrous bands in the cheek, lips and palate
Late sequelae:
(1) diffuse fibrosis
(2) difficulty in opening the mouth, with trismus
(3) difficulty protruding the tongue
(4) difficulty in eating, swallowing and speaking
The patients can be monitored by measuring the distance between the edges of the upper and lower incisor teeth, which correlates with the limitation in mouth opening.
Histologic features of mucosal biopsies:
(1) epithelial atrophy
(2) hyperkeratosis and epithelial dysplasia
(3) dense fibrosis in the lamina propria with hypertrophic collagen bands
(4) variable chronic inflammation
NOTE: The histologic findings are somewhat reminiscent of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus.
