Granulomatous cheilitis: differential diagnosis in patients with macrocheilia

Abstract

Macrocheilia, or lip enlargement, has a varied aetiology, but granulomatous conditions, both infective and non-infective, comprise a significant proportion of patients. Diagnosis starts with clinical investigations while histological examination is required for a definitive diagnosis. In the case presented, a young man presented with painless swelling of upper lip over the past 3 months. Given the clinical history and biopsy results, the diagnosis of granulomatous cheilitis was made which is considered a rare manifestation of metastatic Crohn’s disease. Treatment options remain debated, though in the situation presented a conservative approach was adopted, consisting of antibiotics and corticosteroid therapy, which resulted in significant remission in lip swelling without recurrence after a 3-month follow-up.