Oral diseases | 2021
Associations between clinical and histopathological characteristics in oral leukoplakia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES\nTo identify possible associations between patients demographics and habits, and the clinical aspects and histopathological characteristics of oral leukoplakia (OL) at patients first visit.\n\n\nMETHOD\n140 consecutive patients with OL at a single institute between 1997-2019. All biopsies were microscopically examined for classic dysplasia (CD) (WHO definition oral epithelial dysplasia) and differentiated dysplasia (DD) known from differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. Clinical characteristics were correlated to histopathological diagnosis and Odds Ratios (OR) were calculated.\n\n\nRESULTS\n96 females and 44 males, mean age 58 years. OLs were found mainly on the tongue (41%) and floor of mouth (FOM) (18%). Homogeneous OLs (58%) were associated with smoking, FOM and size <2cm, and non-homogeneous OLs (42%) with non-smokers. No dysplasia (ND) was present in 40% and any dysplasia (AD) in 60%. Tongue OLs were correlated with AD (OR:6.0) and CD (OR:5.7). FOM OLs were correlated with CD (OR:4.5). DD was correlated with non-homogeneous OLs (OR:2.6).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nCD was most frequently observed in tongue and FOM OLs, while DD was associated with non-homogeneous OLs. In this series of patients there was no consistent reliable association between the clinical and histopathological features and clinical characteristics can therefore not substitute microscopic examination of biopsies.