Actinic Cheilitis (“Sailor’s Lips”): A Review for the Clinician

Abstract

Actinic Cheilitis (AC), also known as “sailor's lips”, is a premalignant pathology, and although it is easy to diagnose and prevent, late diagnosed cases may progress to lip carcinoma. Since its main etiological factor is exposure to ultraviolet rays, individuals often exposed to the sun, including military personnel, can be considered a risk group for the disease. The aim of this study was to describe the main risk and prognostic factors of AC and to create a clinical protocol for dental surgeons, making easier to identify and conduct each case. For this purpose, a search for articles relevant to the topic was carried out in Medline, Lilacs, SciELO and PubMed databases, from 1987 to 2022. The following AC patient profile was identified: male, in the fifth decade of life, fair skinned, with lesions on the lower lip and with a long history of outdoor occupational activities/intense sun exposure. The dentist has a fundamental role in identifying risk groups, early recognition of the disease and in more advanced cases, making the correct diagnosis and recommendation to specialized care.

Keywords

• actinic keratoses
• lip neoplasms
• precancerous conditions
• squamous cell carcinoma
• solar cheilitis