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Leukoplakia

MedGen UID:
44133
•Concept ID:
C0023531
•
Neoplastic Process
Synonyms: Lesion, Leukoplakic; Lesions, Leukoplakic; Leukoplakias; Leukoplakic Lesion; Leukoplakic Lesions
SNOMED CT: Leukoplakia (274134003); Leukoplakia (50978000)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0043243

Definition

A white patch or plaque on a mucous membrane that cannot be characterized clinically or pathologically as any other disease. The diagnosis of leukoplakia is one of exclusion; other conditions such as candidiasis, lichen planus, leukoedema, etc., must be ruled out before a diagnosis of leukoplakia can be made. Leukoplakia may be a premalignant condition. [from NCI]

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Management of oral potentially malignant disorders.
Kerr AR, Lodi G
Oral Dis 2021 Nov;27(8):2008-2025. Epub 2021 Oct 9 doi: 10.1111/odi.13980. PMID: 34324758
Oral lichen planus - Differential diagnoses, serum autoantibodies, hematinic deficiencies, and management.
Chiang CP, Yu-Fong Chang J, Wang YP, Wu YH, Lu SY, Sun A
J Formos Med Assoc 2018 Sep;117(9):756-765. Epub 2018 Feb 19 doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2018.01.021. PMID: 29472048
Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia: diagnosis, management and current advances.
Capella DL, Gonçalves JM, Abrantes AAA, Grando LJ, Daniel FI
Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 Sep-Oct;83(5):585-593. Epub 2017 Jan 24 doi: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2016.12.005. PMID: 28209441Free PMC Article

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the last 5 years.
Aguirre-Urizar JM, Lafuente-Ibáñez de Mendoza I, Warnakulasuriya S
Oral Dis 2021 Nov;27(8):1881-1895. Epub 2021 Apr 1 doi: 10.1111/odi.13810. PMID: 33606345
Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia: An Expert Consensus Guideline for Standardized Assessment and Reporting.
Thompson LDR, Fitzpatrick SG, Müller S, Eisenberg E, Upadhyaya JD, Lingen MW, Vigneswaran N, Woo SB, Bhattacharyya I, Bilodeau EA, Carlos R, Islam MN, Leon ME, Lewis JS Jr, Magliocca KR, Mani H, Mehrad M, Purgina B, Richardson M, Wenig BM, Cohen DM
Head Neck Pathol 2021 Jun;15(2):572-587. Epub 2021 Jan 7 doi: 10.1007/s12105-020-01262-9. PMID: 33415517Free PMC Article
Oral potentially malignant disorders: A comprehensive review on clinical aspects and management.
Warnakulasuriya S
Oral Oncol 2020 Mar;102:104550. Epub 2020 Jan 22 doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2019.104550. PMID: 31981993
Oral Leukoplakia and Risk of Progression to Oral Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
Chaturvedi AK, Udaltsova N, Engels EA, Katzel JA, Yanik EL, Katki HA, Lingen MW, Silverberg MJ
J Natl Cancer Inst 2020 Oct 1;112(10):1047-1054. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djz238. PMID: 31860085Free PMC Article
Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders.
Wetzel SL, Wollenberg J
Dent Clin North Am 2020 Jan;64(1):25-37. doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2019.08.004. PMID: 31735231

Diagnosis

Treatment of Oral Dysplasia.
Clarkson E, Hadioonzadeh R, Peters SM
Dent Clin North Am 2024 Jan;68(1):133-149. Epub 2023 Aug 23 doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2023.07.008. PMID: 37951630
Oral leukoplakia and oral cancer.
Onda T, Hayashi K, Katakura A, Takano M
Cleve Clin J Med 2023 Feb 1;90(2):79-80. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.90a.22044. PMID: 36724918
Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders.
Wetzel SL, Wollenberg J
Dent Clin North Am 2020 Jan;64(1):25-37. doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2019.08.004. PMID: 31735231
Oral leukoplakia remains a challenging condition.
Villa A, Sonis S
Oral Dis 2018 Mar;24(1-2):179-183. doi: 10.1111/odi.12781. PMID: 29480606
Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia: diagnosis, management and current advances.
Capella DL, Gonçalves JM, Abrantes AAA, Grando LJ, Daniel FI
Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2017 Sep-Oct;83(5):585-593. Epub 2017 Jan 24 doi: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2016.12.005. PMID: 28209441Free PMC Article

Therapy

Malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the last 5 years.
Aguirre-Urizar JM, Lafuente-Ibáñez de Mendoza I, Warnakulasuriya S
Oral Dis 2021 Nov;27(8):1881-1895. Epub 2021 Apr 1 doi: 10.1111/odi.13810. PMID: 33606345
Leukoplakia and Immunology: New Chemoprevention Landscapes?
Grigolato R, Bizzoca ME, Calabrese L, Leuci S, Mignogna MD, Lo Muzio L
Int J Mol Sci 2020 Sep 19;21(18) doi: 10.3390/ijms21186874. PMID: 32961682Free PMC Article
Oral health consequences of smokeless tobacco use.
Muthukrishnan A, Warnakulasuriya S
Indian J Med Res 2018 Jul;148(1):35-40. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1793_17. PMID: 30264752Free PMC Article
Interventions for treating oral leukoplakia to prevent oral cancer.
Lodi G, Franchini R, Warnakulasuriya S, Varoni EM, Sardella A, Kerr AR, Carrassi A, MacDonald LC, Worthington HV
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016 Jul 29;7(7):CD001829. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001829.pub4. PMID: 27471845Free PMC Article
N-acetyl-l-cysteine.
De Vries N, De Flora S
J Cell Biochem Suppl 1993;17F:270-7. doi: 10.1002/jcb.240531040. PMID: 8412205

Prognosis

Biomarkers of malignant transformation in oral leukoplakia: from bench to bedside.
Cai X, Zhang J, Zhang H, Li T
J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2023 May 13;24(10):868-882. doi: 10.1631/jzus.B2200589. PMID: 37752089Free PMC Article
Premalignant and malignant oral mucosal lesions: Clinical and pathological findings.
Maymone MBC, Greer RO, Kesecker J, Sahitya PC, Burdine LK, Cheng AD, Maymone AC, Vashi NA
J Am Acad Dermatol 2019 Jul;81(1):59-71. Epub 2018 Nov 14 doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.09.060. PMID: 30447325
Oral erythroplakia-What is it?
Holmstrup P
Oral Dis 2018 Mar;24(1-2):138-143. doi: 10.1111/odi.12709. PMID: 29480616
How should we manage oral leukoplakia?
Kumar A, Cascarini L, McCaul JA, Kerawala CJ, Coombes D, Godden D, Brennan PA
Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2013 Jul;51(5):377-83. Epub 2012 Nov 14 doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2012.10.018. PMID: 23159193
Vocal fold cancer.
Schultz P
Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis 2011 Dec;128(6):301-8. Epub 2011 Sep 29 doi: 10.1016/j.anorl.2011.04.004. PMID: 21959270

Clinical prediction guides

Abnormal p53 Immunohistochemical Patterns Shed Light on the Aggressiveness of Oral Epithelial Dysplasia.
Novack R, Zhang L, Hoang LN, Kadhim M, Ng TL, Poh CF, Kevin Ko YC
Mod Pathol 2023 Jul;36(7):100153. Epub 2023 Mar 9 doi: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100153. PMID: 36906072
Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia: An Expert Consensus Guideline for Standardized Assessment and Reporting.
Thompson LDR, Fitzpatrick SG, Müller S, Eisenberg E, Upadhyaya JD, Lingen MW, Vigneswaran N, Woo SB, Bhattacharyya I, Bilodeau EA, Carlos R, Islam MN, Leon ME, Lewis JS Jr, Magliocca KR, Mani H, Mehrad M, Purgina B, Richardson M, Wenig BM, Cohen DM
Head Neck Pathol 2021 Jun;15(2):572-587. Epub 2021 Jan 7 doi: 10.1007/s12105-020-01262-9. PMID: 33415517Free PMC Article
Oral Leukoplakia and Risk of Progression to Oral Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
Chaturvedi AK, Udaltsova N, Engels EA, Katzel JA, Yanik EL, Katki HA, Lingen MW, Silverberg MJ
J Natl Cancer Inst 2020 Oct 1;112(10):1047-1054. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djz238. PMID: 31860085Free PMC Article
Oral leukoplakia-to treat or not to treat.
Holmstrup P, Dabelsteen E
Oral Dis 2016 Sep;22(6):494-7. Epub 2016 Feb 11 doi: 10.1111/odi.12443. PMID: 26785709
Black hairy tongue syndrome.
Gurvits GE, Tan A
World J Gastroenterol 2014 Aug 21;20(31):10845-50. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i31.10845. PMID: 25152586Free PMC Article

Recent systematic reviews

Malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the last 5 years.
Aguirre-Urizar JM, Lafuente-Ibáñez de Mendoza I, Warnakulasuriya S
Oral Dis 2021 Nov;27(8):1881-1895. Epub 2021 Apr 1 doi: 10.1111/odi.13810. PMID: 33606345
Diabetes mellitus and oral cancer/oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Ramos-Garcia P, Roca-Rodriguez MDM, Aguilar-Diosdado M, Gonzalez-Moles MA
Oral Dis 2021 Apr;27(3):404-421. Epub 2020 Feb 18 doi: 10.1111/odi.13289. PMID: 31994293
Potentially malignant disorders of the oral cavity and oral dysplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of malignant transformation rate by subtype.
Iocca O, Sollecito TP, Alawi F, Weinstein GS, Newman JG, De Virgilio A, Di Maio P, Spriano G, Pardiñas López S, Shanti RM
Head Neck 2020 Mar;42(3):539-555. Epub 2019 Dec 5 doi: 10.1002/hed.26006. PMID: 31803979
Prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mello FW, Miguel AFP, Dutra KL, Porporatti AL, Warnakulasuriya S, Guerra ENS, Rivero ERC
J Oral Pathol Med 2018 Aug;47(7):633-640. Epub 2018 Jun 6 doi: 10.1111/jop.12726. PMID: 29738071
Interventions for treating oral leukoplakia to prevent oral cancer.
Lodi G, Franchini R, Warnakulasuriya S, Varoni EM, Sardella A, Kerr AR, Carrassi A, MacDonald LC, Worthington HV
Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016 Jul 29;7(7):CD001829. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001829.pub4. PMID: 27471845Free PMC Article

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