Introduction Oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) represents a part of the general health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This OHRQoL indicates someone's subjective knowledge of a patient's oral health status, which is mostly associated with physical conditions and general HRQoL issues. A report by the World Health Organization labeled rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases as the second most reported cause of disability worldwide. Considering their potential influence on the masticatory system, rheumatic diseases (RDs) can significantly affect oral health and the quality of life. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the impact of RDs on OHRQoL, including oral complaints, oral habits, oral functions, and dental care. Materials and methods This cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in multi-governmental medical and dental institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The research was approved by the ethics committee Institutional Review Board (IRB). The validated surveys were distributed to the subjects manually. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23.0 software, and all parameters were expressed in frequencies and percentages. Results The study included 108 patients: 10 males (9.3%) and 98 (90.7%) females. Approximately 81% of the study group reported occasional changes in the quality of life caused by oral or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems. Dental caries and periodontal diseases were the most commonly reported complaints (73.1%). Regarding oral manifestations of RDs affecting the quality of life, 91.7% of participants never experienced difficulty speaking and taste changes; pain and discomfort in the mouth were always present in 4.6% of the participants. Conclusion Patients with RDs exhibited reduced OHRQoL, with several differences between the entities. Specifically, OHRQoL decreased in diseases with more oral manifestations, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which showed a high percentage in this study (SLE, about 27.8%; RA, 62%).
BACKGROUND Habitual khat ( Catha edulis ) chewing has been proven to cause numerous oral tissue changes. However, oral melanoacanthoma triggered by chronic khat chewing is rare. Oral melanoacanthoma is an uncommon, sudden, asymptomatic, benign pigmentation of the oral cavity. Under the microscope, the epithelial layer of the oral mucosa showed dendritic melanocyte proliferation and acanthosis. The study aimed to highlight chronic khat chewing as a trigger for oral melanoacanthoma. CASE SUMMARY In the current study, we report a case of a 26-year-old male patient with a rare presentation of oral melanoacanthoma triggered by regular khat chewing. Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors can cause oral pigmentation. Chewing khat is an extrinsic factor that can cause several diseases, including oral pigmentation. In this case, the definitive diagnosis was oral melanoacanthoma. This diagnosis was made based on the patient’s history, clinical lesion presentation, and microscopic biopsy results. CONCLUSION Habitual khat ( Catha edulis ) chewing causes many oral tissue changes including oral melanoacanthoma. The study aimed to highlight chronic khat chewing as a trigger for oral melanoacanthoma.
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