Goodlettsville Dental Services

Leukoplakia

Leukoplakia is adherent white plaques or patches on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, including the tongue. The clinical appearance is highly variable. Leukoplakia is not a specific disease entity, but is diagnosis of exclusion. It must be distinguished from diseases that may cause similar white lesions, such as candidiasis or lichen planus.

It is sometimes described as precancerous.

The term “candidal leukoplakia” is sometimes used to describe certain types of oral candidiasis.

Incidence and prevalence

Leukoplakic lesions are found in approximately 3% of the world’s population. Like erythroplakia, leukoplakia is usually found in adults between 40 and 70 years of age, with a 2:1 male predominance.

Causes

Leukoplakia is primarily caused by the use of tobacco. Other possible etiological agents implicated are HPV , Candida albicans and possibly alcohol. Simultaneously serum levels of patients with leukoplakia were found to be low in Vit A,B-12,C & folic acid,in a study conducted in India. Most result from chronic irritation of mucous membranes by carcinogens. Bloodroot, otherwise known as sanguinaria, is also believed to be associated with leukoplakia.

5% to 25% of leukoplakias are premalignant lesions; wherefore, all leukoplakias should be treated as premalignant lesions by dentists and physicians – they require histologic evaluation or biopsy. Hairy leukoplakia, which is associated with HIV infection and other diseases of severe immune deficiency, is not a premalignant lesion.

Treatment

The treatment of leukoplakia mainly involves avoidance of predisposing factors — tobacco cessation, smoking, quitting betel chewing, abstinence from alcohol — and avoidance of chronic irritants, e.g., the sharp edges of teeth. A biopsy should be done, and the lesion surgically excised if pre-cancerous changes or cancer is detected.

Taking beta-carotene orally seems to induce remission in patients with oral leukoplakia. Further research is needed to confirm these results.