thrombosis or calcification (2). Lymphangiomas are far less common in the oral mucosa, usually appearing on the tongue, less commonly the lip at birth or in infancy (1, 2, 4). They are colourless to pale pink and may be nodular projections (1) or resemble ‘frog spawn’ domes (2). They can cause macroglossia (enlargement of the tongue) (1, 4). Venous Varix, like varicose vein, usually appear in older people on the lower lip as a blue-purple lump (2). Malignant Neoplasms of oral mucosa- Sarcomas Connective tissue malignancies, sarcomas, are rare in the oral mucosa. Osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma arise in bone and cartilage, lymphoma in haematological disorders (1). The most common malignancies are carcinomas, overwhelmingly Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SSC) (4). See Oral Cancer. Rhabdomyosarcoma are fast growing destructive swellings usually in the maxilla. It is the most common oral sarcoma in children and adolescents (1), but rare (4). Kaposi Sarcoma is related to the Kaposi Sarcoma Herpes Virus (KSHV) or Human Herpes Virus (HHV-8) viral infection (3). Predominating on the hard palate and gingivae it develops initially as a macule ranging in colour from red, blue, purple to brown or black, becoming nodular as it grows (2, 3, 4). The lesions are highly vascular and can ulcerate and bleed easily; death is usually from opportunistic infections (1). It is usually associated with HIV /AIDS but also less commonly with immunosuppression such as organ donor recipients or prevalent in some communities such as Mediterranean Jews (1). There is no cure (4) but the lesions respond well to Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) drugs (2) See also Oral mucosa tissue engineering Junctional epithelium Oral cancer Salivary glands Basal lamina Fibroblast References External links – "Digestive System: Oral Cavity and Teeth – lip, oral mucosa" – "Lip" – "Lip" Common Dental and Oral Mucosal Disorders, Duke University at https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221658/http://pamodules.mc.duke.edu/Oral_Health/Print.asp?CourseNum=1&LessonNum=3 Dental anatomy