Angular Cheilitis

Angular cheilitis refers to an inflammatory skin condition of varied etiology that develops at the labial commissure, or angle of the mouth. The term “angular” or “commissural” describes localized lip inflammation—cheilitis, derived from the Greek meaning “lips”—that differs from more diffuse forms of cheilitis with distinct underlying causes. Alternative names for angular cheilitis include angular cheilosis, angular stomatitis, commissural stomatitis, rhagades, and —a French term meaning “through licking.” The word  denotes fissuring of the skin in areas subject to frequent movement, most commonly at the labial commissures and nasal region. The angles of the mouth serve as transition points between the squamous epithelium of the face and the oral mucosa, functioning as mechanically active hinges for the oral aperture. These regions experience greater motion and tensile stress than other parts of the lips, making the commissures particularly vulnerable to mechanical strain and inflammatory changes (see . Angular Cheilitis). Diffuse cheilitides often develop in response to environmental, chemical, or infectious factors, or may indicate an internal disorder, deficiency, or systemic imbalance. Conditions in this group include eczematous, contact, drug-induced, infective, actinic, glandular, granulomatous, exfoliative, plasma cell, and nutritional cheilitis. Discussion of diffuse cheilitides falls outside the scope of this activity.