Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the relative frequency of biopsied oral soft tissue lesions in Kuwait.

Materials and methods: Biopsy records and microscopic sections of all oral soft tissue biopsies seen in the Department of Histopathology at Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, between January 2004 and December 2009 were reviewed. The biopsies were divided into two major groups; group 1: nonneoplastic lesions, and group 2: neoplastic lesions. Group 1 was subdivided into reactive, inflammatory, cyst/cyst-like, dysplastic, and pigmented lesions. Group 2 was subdivided into epithelial and mesenchymal lesions, and also into benign and malignant lesions.

Results: Of the 858 biopsies, 732 (85.3%) were nonneoplastic while the remaining 126 (14.7%) were neoplastic. In group 1, more than half of the lesions were within the reactive subgroup (n = 386; 52.7%) while in group 2, 94 (74.6%) lesions were epithelial in origin and 32 (25.4%) were mesenchymal. In addition, 70 (55.6%) lesions were malignant and 56 (44.4%) were benign. Of the 858 biopsies, the most common lesions were fibrous hyperplasias: 178 (20.7%); mucoceles: 110 (12.8%); pyogenic granulomas: 94 (11.0%); squamous cell carcinomas: 56 (6.5%), and lichenoid mucositis: 49 (5.7%).

Conclusions: The majority of the lesions were nonneoplastic and were related to local irritation or trauma. Most neoplastic lesions were epithelial in origin. Oral squamous cell carcinoma was one of the most prevalent oral lesions highlighting the importance of prevention, early detection and diagnosis of oral cancer.