# Remote Consultations for Monitoring Actinic Cheilitis: A Preliminary Non‐Randomized Clinical Trial

## TL;DR

This study shows that remote consultations can effectively monitor actinic cheilitis, a potentially cancerous lip condition, with results comparable to in-person visits.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the feasibility of using teledentistry for monitoring actinic cheilitis with high agreement between remote and in-person assessments.

## Key findings

- Remote and in-person evaluations showed 97% or higher agreement on clinical alterations.
- Photos taken by patients were rated adequate in 88.6% of cases, similar to professional photos.
- Only 5.6% of remote evaluations required an in-person follow-up.

## Abstract

To evaluate the feasibility of remote consultation for monitoring actinic cheilitis.

A cross‐over, non‐randomized clinical trial comparing remote and in‐person consultations for patients with actinic cheilitis. During the remote consultations, patients were interviewed and submitted clinical photos taken with smartphones. Local signs and symptoms were recorded, and examiners assessed whether a biopsy was indicated. Photos sent by patients were compared with those taken during the in‐person visits.

The study included 36 patients. The most frequent clinical presentation was plaques with erosive areas. Agreement between remote and in‐person evaluations regarding clinical alterations was 97% or higher. In 11% of cases (n = 4), both examiners recommended biopsy. In only 2 cases (5.6%), the remote examiner considered an in‐person consultation necessary. Photos taken by patients were rated as adequate in 88.6% of cases, compared to 97.1% for professional photos, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.16).

Teledentistry showed promising results for the follow‐up of actinic cheilitis and may help reduce healthcare costs. However, due to its potentially malignant nature, initial assessment must be performed by an oral medicine specialist to ensure appropriate diagnosis and management.