Brownish discoloration in the mouth at multiple sites of a smoker. How to treat this ?
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Hello, Brownish discoloration in the mouth at multiple sites of a smoker. How to treat this ? He is 57 years old. Please provide some suggestions on what should we do.
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@ganesh Smoker's melanosis may be due to the effects of tobacco smoke on melanocytes located in the lining epithelium of the oral mucosa. Smoker's melanosis is likely due to direct effects of tobacco smoke on the oral mucosa. Smoke is thought to cause changes in the mucosa through a combination of physical (heat) and/or chemical (nicotine and tobacco-specific compounds) effects. If the areas become depigmented and erythematous, squamous cell carcinoma has been found in 12% of these patients, suggesting that melanin might have a protective role against noxious substances in the tobacco smoke. If the pigmentation is in an unusual location, an ulceration is present, or the lesion is elevated, a biopsy is necessary to exclude other pigmented conditions (eg, nevi, melanoma). Although smoker's melanosis is an abnormal deposition of melanin, the lesion itself is not associated with an increased risk of melanoma or carcinoma. Generally, no treatment is necessary. However, if the pigmentation is in an unusual location, such as the hard palate; if an area of ulceration is present; or the lesion is elevated, a biopsy is necessary to exclude other pigmented conditions (eg, nevi, melanoma).