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Oral LeukoplakiaAka: Leukoplakia

See Also
1. Oral Erythroplakia
Definition
1. White Plaque-like lesion on Oral Mucosa
Differential Diagnosis of white oral lesions
1. Non-Keratotic
  1. Can scrape off with Tongue blade or gauze
  2. Causes
    1. Surface debris (food accretion)
    2. Necrosis
    3. Thrush
2. Keratotic (cannot be rubbed off)
  1. Leukoplakia (18% of oral lesions)
  2. Reactive hyperkeratosis (most common)
    1. Benign epithelial response
      1. Fractured tooth,
      2. Dental restoration
Causes of leukoplakia
1. General
  1. Small percentage are pre-cancerous or carcinoma
2. Specific Causes
  1. Leukoedema
  2. Galvanic keratosis
  3. Lichen Planus of Buccal Mucosa
  4. Verrucous carcinoma
  5. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  6. White sponge nevus
  7. Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Signs: Cancer-prone mucosal locations
1. Lateral or Ventral Tongue
2. Floor of mouth (especially near Wharton's Duct)
3. Mandibular retromolar trigone
  1. Tonsillar pillar and Soft Palate complex
Evaluation for Leukoplakia
1. Rule out traumatic cause
2. Biopsy!
Prevention
1. Tobacco Cessation
2. Alcohol cessation

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This page was written by Scott Moses, MD. This page was last revised before 5/10/08, prior to consistent tracking of revision date. This page was last published on 5/16/2008. Please send comments and questions to the editor. Contact information may be found on the page About the Family Practice Notebook. These pages are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0.