Labyrinthitis is a general term for inflammatory diseases that occur in the lips. The disease has a high incidence and is a serious risk to human health, and its treatment and prevention remains a topic for dentists.
The current classification of labyrinthitis is based on etiology and pathology. There are seven common types of labyrinthitis: 1. Chronic nonspecific labyrinthitis. The cause may be related to temperature, chemical and mechanical chronic and persistent irritants, such as cold plateau or dry climate areas, addiction to tobacco and alcohol, bad habits of lip licking and lip biting, and habits of eating spicy and hot food. Chronic non-specific labyrinthitis is characterized by dry flaking of the affected lips, itching and burning, oozing and crusting, mostly in the red part of the lower lip, and repeated infections can appear as pus crusts covering the chapped area, with deeper cracking, severe pain and swelling. Treatment: local wet compress with 1:5000 compound furacilin solution, then topical application of gentamycin eye ointment or skin fluorescein ointment, the effect is not obvious feasible local injection of tretinoin treatment. Prevention: avoid stimulation, quit smoking and alcohol, avoid spicy food.
2. Glandular labyrinthitis. The etiology of the occurrence is not very clear, and may be related to congenital heredity, gingivitis, periodontitis and other local lesions and local stimulation. Prevalent in middle-aged or middle-aged men, mostly in the lower lip, suffering from hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the labial gland; when secondary infection occurs, there is purulent secretion, swelling and pain in the lip is obvious, and cancer can occur in a few patients who do not heal repeatedly for a long time. Treatment: 10% potassium iodide can be taken orally, topical application of gentamycin eye ointment or fluorine easy ointment; or local injection of prednisone suspension.
3. Benign lymphoproliferative labyrinthitis. The cause of the disease may be related to the proliferation of the original lymphoid tissue remaining during embryonic development under light radiation. It is mostly found in the red part of the lower lip of young and strong women, and is characterized by a yellowish scab-covered local area with paroxysmal intense itching, which occurs about 1-2 times a day, and the itching is gradually relieved only after the scab falls off and a yellowish liquid flows out after scratching. Treatment: The disease is sensitive to radiation and can be treated with radiotherapy. Prevention: Avoid sun exposure.
4. Granulomatous labyrinthitis. The etiology of this disease is unknown, and it may be a specific reaction to Crohn’s disease, periapical inflammation, lipofuscinosis, or a foreign body reaction to the degeneration of subcutaneous fat. It presents as a diffuse swelling of the patient’s lip, which is hypertrophic, firm and elastic, without pain on compression or edema-type depressions. The upper lip is more affected than the lower lip, and there are cases where both upper and lower lips are involved. The swelling can subside at the beginning, but repeatedly the swelling does not subside, and the skin of the swollen area is light red, turning dark red after repeated episodes, and the upper lip is swollen and outwardly curved. Treatment: local injection with tretinoin.
5, May-Lo syndrome. Also known as granulomatous labyrinthitis syndrome or lip swelling, facial palsy, cleft tongue triad. The etiology is unknown. The manifestation is diffuse swelling and thickening of the lip, which can occur simultaneously with peripheral facial nerve palsy and cleft tongue or with map tongue, and when these three syndromes appear together, it is usually called May-Ro syndrome. However, when only any two of the above signs are present, it can also be called incomplete syndrome. Treatment: Local injection of prednisolone suspension.
6.Photochemical labyrinthitis. Acute inflammatory reaction caused by intense and excessive sunlight exposure (including ultraviolet light, X first, strong light source, etc.). The disease occurs in summer and can be divided into 2 types of acute and chronic onset. Acute actinic labyrinthitis, also known as cicatricial labyrinthitis, is characterized by edema and congestion of the patient’s lips, blisters, erosion, crusting, and rapid onset. It is common to have an attack on the same day after exposure to the sun, with significant burning, accompanied by intense itching. Chronic actinic labyrinthitis, also known as desquamative labyrinthitis, has obvious dryness and discomfort, with repeated episodes of labyrinthitis, thickening of the lip mucosa, dryness and cracking, and epithelium covered with white chaffy scales. Treatment: In the acute stage, wet compresses are applied, and hormone or antibiotic ointment can be applied when there is no exudate. Prevention: avoid sun exposure.
7. Metaplastic lip infection. The cause of the disease is the lip inflammation caused by contact with allergens. When the antigen enters the body for the second time, it can stimulate type I metaplasia, resulting in the release of histamine slow-reacting substances, causing mucosal capillaries, increased permeability of the tubular wall, resulting in tissue edema; contact labyrinthitis occurs after type IV metaplasia due to direct contact with allergens, such as cosmetics, certain drugs, etc. The disease is divided into 2 types: acute and chronic. Acute is lip angioneurotic edema, manifested as diffuse swelling of the upper lip with unclear perimeter, which can spread to the nose and cheek area, sometimes accompanied by swelling of the tongue and throat, which can cause inhalation difficulties and even asphyxia. Chronic is similar to the above-mentioned lip symptoms, without other areas outside the lip with accompanying swelling. Treatment: Application of corticosteroids and antihistamines. Prevention: Avoid contact allergens.