Oral Leukoplakia. A Five-Year Follow-Up Study

Background: Oral leukoplakia (OLK) is the most studied oral potentially malignant disorders in the scientific literature. Its malignant transformation (MT) rate varies between 1.1% and 40.8%, depending on the type of study and population group studied. There is no universal agreement to treat or manage these lesions, so it is up to each clinician's experience and expertise in how he/she manages these patients. Objective:The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the clinical aspects and pattern of evolution of OLK in 30 patients five years or more after the initial diagnosis. Material and methods:We selected 30 OLK patients from our database. Demographic, clinical and evolutive data was retrieved from the medical files. The following variables were analysed: age and sex, smoking habits, clinical features (form, dimension, site of the lesion), result of mycological examination, treatment and outcomes of the lesions over a follow-up of more than five years. Results:For a follow-up of 119.63 months, we detected a value of 0.2% MT rate per year. Outcomes varied from the complete disappearance of the lesion to recurrence and malignant transformation with a variety of treatment methods applied. Conclusion:Despite the low MT rate for a long follow-up, it is hard to say which treatment method is the best, due to the heterogeneity of the clinical aspects of the lesions and because there is no standardised test method, either genetic testing or immunohistochemical testing. We recommend a varied approach, suitable for each patient's needs and medical context, always when possible histopathological confirmation for grading epithelial dysplasia, which remains the most reliable method of checking the process of malignant transformation.