FaCD Online Syndrome Fact Sheet

Last updated: 10 Feb 2008

Name: Cheilitis Glandularis

Mode of Inheritance: multifact?/ AD?

Tumor features

lip, squamous cell cancer of the

Non-tumor features

lips, hypertrophy of the labial mucous glands

Comment

This disorder is characterized by chronic inflammation of the labial salivary glands, resulting in swelling, eversion and hypersecretion of the affected lips (usually the lower lip)[1]. Swerlick and Cooper[2] stated that the condition is unrelated to hyperplasia of the labial salivary glands, but rather is the result of an unusual reaction in response to chronic irritation of the lips. A high incidence of lower lip squamous cell cancer (in whites) is found in this disorder[3]. Possibly lip eversion causes a higher sensibility/exposure to carcinogens (rather than cheilitis glandularis itself being a precancerous condition[4])[5]. Familial cases have been reported[5;6].

References

[1] Rogers RS, Bekic M. Diseases of the lips. Semin Cutan Med Surg 1997; 16(4):328-336.
[2] Swerlick RA, Cooper PH. Cheilitis glandularis: a re-evaluation. J Am Acad Dermatol 1984; 10(3):466-472.
[3] Carrington PR, Horn TD. Cheilitis glandularis: a clinical marker for both malignancy and/or severe inflammatory disease of the oral cavity. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2006; 54(2):336-7.
[4] Balus L. [Is glandular cheilitis a precancerous disease?]. Hautarzt 1965; 16(8):364-367.
[5] Yacobi R, Brown DA. Cheilitis glandularis: a pediatric case report. J Am Dent Assoc 1989; 118(3):317-318.
[6] Weir TW, Johnson WC. Cheilitis glandularis. Arch Dermatol 1971; 103:433-437.