Oral leukoplakia is a clinical term for a white patch or plaque in the mouth that cannot be rubbed off and cannot be attributed to another known disease. It’s considered a potentially pre-cancerous lesion, meaning it could develop into oral squamous cell carcinoma over time.
🔍 Key Features Appearance: White, thickened patches on the tongue, inside of the cheeks, gums, or floor of the mouth.
Texture: May be smooth, wrinkled, or verrucous (wart-like).
Painless in most cases.
Cannot be scraped off (unlike candidiasis).
⚠️ Causes and Risk Factors Tobacco use (smoking or chewing) – major risk factor
Alcohol abuse
Chronic irritation (e.g., from ill-fitting dentures, broken teeth)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) – especially high-risk types
🧪 Diagnosis Clinical evaluation
Biopsy is essential to rule out:
Dysplasia (abnormal cells)
Carcinoma in situ
Invasive carcinoma
🩺 Management Eliminate risk factors (stop smoking, improve oral hygiene)
Regular monitoring with repeat biopsies if necessary
Surgical removal (excision, laser ablation, or cryotherapy) if:
There's moderate/severe dysplasia
The lesion is persistent or enlarging
📊 Malignant Transformation Transformation rates vary (~1–20%) depending on:
Degree of dysplasia
Size and location (tongue and floor of mouth have higher risk)
Duration and appearance (non-homogeneous types are riskier)