The Cheilitis Picture

Cheilitis refers to persistent inflammation of one or both lips. Scaling, cracking, and swelling may occur on the vermilion border, which is the area where lip mucosa meets the normal skin of the face.
There are several types of cheiliits:

actinic cheilitis, painful swelling of the lip(s) and development of scaly crust and erosions on the vermilion border after overexposure to sun rays; it may be acute or chronic. Called also solar c.

angular cheilitis, perlèche.

apostematous cheilitis, see c. glandularis.

commissural cheilitis, cheilitis affecting principally the angles (commissures) of the mouth. See also perlèche.

cheilitis exfoliati¢va, persistent exfoliation of the lip caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane, similar to but not identical with dermatitis seborrheica.

cheilitis glandula¢ris, a rare disease in which the lower lip becomes enlarged and later everted, exposing the openings of the accessory salivary glands, which are inflamed and dilated; the glands themselves are enlarged and sometimes nodular. It may be associated with carcinoma of the lip. There are three types: the simple type is characterized by multiple painless, pinhead-sized lesions, with central depressions and dilated canals, and may develop into one of the other types; the superficial suppurative type (called also Baelz's disease) is characterized by painless swelling, induration, crusting, and ulcerations of the lip; the deep suppurative type is a deep-seated infection with abscesses and fistulous tracts that eventually form scars. Called also apostematous c., c. glandularis apostematosa, and myxadenitis labialis.

cheilitis glandula¢ris apostemato¢sa, see c. glandularis.

cheilitis granulomato¢sa, granulomatous cheilitis, an inflammation of the lips characterized by granulomas and swelling; it is sometimes part of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. Called also Miescher's granulomatous c.

impetiginous cheilitis, impetigo of the lips.

Miescher's granulomatous cheilitis, granulomatous c.

migrating cheilitis, perlèche.

solar cheilitis, actinic c.

cheilitis venena¢ta, that due to a toxic substance.