ABSTRACT
The objective of the study was to see the morphological pattern and frequency of oral epithelial lesions. All oral biopsies received in the Department of Pathology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi, over a period of 5 years were reviewed and relevant special stains were performed. A total of 685 cases were reviewed. Five hundred twelve [75%] were found neoplastic and 173 [25%] were non neoplastic. Granuloma Pyogenicum was the commonest [65] non neoplastic lesions. In neoplastic lesions, 498 cases were epithelial while 14 cases were diagnosed as non-epithelial lesions. Squamous cell carcinoma was found to be commonest [412 cases] epithelial malignant neoplastic lesion. There was a single case of benign epithelial lesion[Papilloma]. The epithelial precursor lesions include 75[15%] cases of hyperplasia followed by 10[2%] showing mild dysplasia. Oral malignant epithelial lesions were common in 5th decade of life in males and 4th decade in females. In non epithelial lesions, commonest benign lesion was Hemangioma [8] followed by Neurofibroma [1], Neurolemmoma [1], Kaposi Sarcoma [1] and single case of Lymphoma. Squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest malignant epithelial lesion. Granuloma pyogenicum was the commonest non neoplastic lesion of oral cavity