In vitro epithelial cell outgrowth from oral leukoplakia

The appearance of an epithelial cell outgrowth in vitro from biopsies of oral leukoplakia is compared with the histologic appearance of the lesion. Tissue samples from oral leukoplakia of 20 patients were cultured to allow the outgrowth of populations of epithelial cells. Adjacent tissue within the lesions was fixed for routine histology. Epithelial cell outgrowth was successful from biopsies possessing the histologic characteristics hyperkeratosis (14 of 20 cases), altered epithelial thickness (14 of 19 cases) and increased mitotic activity (1 of 4 cases). No epithelial cell outgrowth was observed from leukoplakia tissue possessing signs of epithelial dysplasia (0 of 2 cases).