Clinical and histologic studies on electrogalvanically induced oral white lesions

Among 1,128 patients with oral leukoplakia and 326 patients with oral lichen planus included in long-term follow-up studies, thirty-two patients showed lesions of the oral mucosa which could be attributed to electrogalvanism. The material consisted of twenty female and twelve male patients. The clinical diagnosis was leukoplakia in sixteen patients and oral lichen planus in the remaining sixteen patients. Histopathologic characteristics were analyzed and correlated to the clinical findings. In five cases malignant transformation developed. The term electrogalvanic white lesions is suggested as a common denominator for these mucosal changes, which seem to take the shape of lichen planus as often as that of leukoplakia.