EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL LESIONS AND CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CONCORDANCE: A 15-YEAR MULTICENTER STUDY IN A BRAZILIAN METROPOLITAN REGION

Resumo

Oral and maxillofacial lesions comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders affecting the soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity, including inflammatory, reactive, infectious, cystic, potentially malignant, and neoplastic processes. Understanding the epidemiological profile of these lesions is essential for planning preventive strategies, promoting early diagnosis, and improving oral healthcare services. The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiological profile of oral and maxillofacial lesions diagnosed in different healthcare services between 2010 and 2025 and to evaluate the concordance between clinical and histopathological diagnoses (Akamine; Yamamoto, 2009). This observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, documentary, and multicenter study was conducted through the analysis of clinical records and histopathological reports obtained from specialized dental centers, hospital-based services, and emergency dental care facilities (Baesso et al, 2023). A total of 5,842 patient records were evaluated, of which 5,615 presented conclusive histopathological diagnoses. Females accounted for 59.3% of the sample, with a mean age of 48.6 years and a higher frequency of cases occurring between 41 and 60 years of age (36.8%) (Castro, 2021). The buccal mucosa was the most affected anatomical site (24.7%), followed by the lower lip (15.1%) and tongue (13.9%). The most frequent lesions were inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (17.4%), traumatic fibroma (12.4%), mucocele (7.8%), pyogenic granuloma (6.5%), and leukoplakia (6.1%). Squamous cell carcinoma accounted for 3.9% of all histopathological diagnoses. Excisional biopsies represented 61.0% of all procedures, while incisional biopsies accounted for 39.0%. (Estrela, 2018) Concordance between clinical and histopathological diagnoses was observed in 74.3% of the cases. Reactive hyperplastic lesions constituted the most prevalent diagnostic group, with inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia being the most common lesion. The high clinicopathological concordance observed reinforces the importance of combining specialized clinical examination with histopathological analysis to establish definitive diagnoses of oral lesions, contributing to improved oral healthcare and supporting the development of public health policies (Chi; Day; Neville, 2015).

Keywords: Oral lesions. Oral pathology. Epidemiology. Histopathological diagnosis. Biopsy. Oral medicine.