[Precancerous lesions (oral leukoplakia and lichen planus) in the geriatric patient]

To study the prevalence and histopathological behaviour of precancerous lesions of the oral mucous membrane, leukoplakia and lichen planus, among the geriatric population attended.

A prospective, descriptive study.

Urban out-patient clinic and health centre in Health Area V in Asturias (population covered: 80,000).

All patients over 65 in whom one of the lesions under study was observed.

All the patients had a complete oral examination. A clinical history was taken for those patients in whom a lesion under study was found, and a sample of the lesion by an incisional or excisional biopsy was taken. Later there were periodic checks and new biopsies were taken.

During the study period, approximately 52,000 mouth and teeth examinations took place. 34 precancerous lesions were detected in patients over 65. The commonest type of lesion was Lichen planus with 20 cases.

The prevalence found in the sample analysed was similar to that of other studies. The fact that the majority of the lesions had not been noticed clinically, along with the greater susceptibility of these patients to the activation of factors which could trigger malignant degeneration, may have made the presence of 7 lesions with dysplastic histological alterations possible.