Atlas · Plate XII · Patient Assessment and Charting · 02
Extraoral and intraoral exam
The extraoral exam checks skin, eyes, TMJ, muscles of mastication, lymph nodes, thyroid, salivary glands and lips; the intraoral exam covers the mucosa, tongue, floor of the mouth, palate, oropharynx and gingiva. Match the palpation type to the site, pull the tongue out with gauze to see its lateral borders, and describe lesions by size, color, shape, surface and base.
High-yield facts · 7
- Extraoral exam: skin, eyes, TMJ, muscles of mastication, lymph nodes, thyroid, salivary glands, lips.T2
- The thyroid moves up when the patient swallows; palpate it from behind or in front during swallowing.T2
- Intraoral exam: labial and buccal mucosa, vestibules, tongue (dorsal, lateral, ventral), floor of mouth, hard and soft palate, oropharynx, gingiva.T2
- Grasp the tongue with gauze to examine the lateral borders, the highest-risk site for oral cancer.T2
- Palpation types: digital (one finger), bidigital (finger and thumb, e.g., lips), bimanual (both hands, floor of mouth), bilateral (both sides at once, nodes and TMJ).T2
- Lesion descriptors: location, size in mm, color, shape, surface, consistency, base (sessile or pedunculated), and whether it blanches or wipes off.T2
- A macule is flat and under 1 cm; a patch is flat and over 1 cm; a papule is raised under 5 mm; a nodule is a solid mass over 5 mm; a vesicle is fluid-filled under 5 mm; a bulla is fluid-filled over 5 mm.T2T5
Facts are written in our own words; each tag links to its source. Values marked "sources vary" differ between references, so check the one your program uses.