Chemical burns of the oral mucosa: report of a case.

Clinical diagnosis of a chemical burn of the oral mucous membranes may be a diagnostic challenge. This article's intent is to illustrate the typical appearance of a chemical mucosal burn and to increase awareness of the various compounds which, when in contact with the mucous membranes, can result in a burn. The authors present a case involving a self-inflicted chemical injury of the oral mucous membranes and illustrate how the submission of an easily-obtained tissue specimen for pathologic examination may aid in the diagnosis. Because these superficial tissues can be obtained and submitted without the need for local anesthetic, pathologic examination is a quick, easy, and valuable diagnostic test when a patient's history is difficult to obtain or intentionally misleading.