Leukoplakia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 'Leukoplakia' | |
| Classification and external resources | |
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|---|---|
| The white lesion is an example of leukoplakia. | |
| ICD-10 | K13.2, N48.0, N88.0, N89.4, N90.4 |
| ICD-9 | 478.5, 528.6, 530.83, 607.0, 622.2, 623.1, 624.0 |
| DiseasesDB | 7438 |
| MedlinePlus | 001046 |
| MeSH | D007971 |
Leukoplakia is adherent white plaques or patches on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, including the tongue. The clinical appearance is highly variable. Leukoplakia is not a specific disease entity, but is diagnosis of exclusion.[1] It must be distinguished from diseases that may cause similar white lesions, such as candidiasis or lichen planus.
It is sometimes described as precancerous.[2]
The term "candidal leukoplakia" is sometimes used to describe certain types of oral candidosis.[3]
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[edit] Incidence and prevalence
Leukoplakic lesions are found in approximately 3% of the world's population. Like erythroplakia, leukoplakia is usually found in adults between 40 and 70 years of age, with a 2:1 male predominance.
[edit] Causes
Leukoplakia is primarily caused by the use of tobacco. Other possible etiological agents implicated are HPV , Candida albicans and possibly alcohol.Simultaneously serum levels of patients with leukoplakia were found to be low in Vit A,B-12,C & folic acid,in a study conducted in India. Most result from chronic irritation of mucous membranes by carcinogens.[citation needed] Bloodroot, otherwise known as sanguinaria, is also believed to be associated with leukoplakia.[4]
5% to 25% of leukoplakias are premalignant lesions; wherefore, all leukoplakias should be treated as premalignant lesions by dentists and physicians - they require histologic evaluation or biopsy. Hairy leukoplakia, which is associated with HIV infection and other diseases of severe immune deficiency, is not a premalignant lesion.
[edit] Treatment
The treatment of leukoplakia mainly involves avoidance of predisposing factors — tobacco cessation, smoking, quitting betel chewing, abstinence from alcohol — and avoidance of chronic irritants, e.g., the sharp edges of teeth. A biopsy should be done, and the lesion surgically excised if pre-cancerous changes or cancer is detected.
Taking beta-carotene orally seems to induce remission in patients with oral leukoplakia. Further research is needed to confirm these results.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Mishra M, Mohanty J, Sengupta S, Tripathy S (2005). "Epidemiological and clinicopathological study of oral leukoplakia". Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 71 (3): 161–5. PMID 16394403. http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-6323;year=2005;volume=71;issue=3;spage=161;epage=165;aulast=Mishra.
- ^ Ishida K, Ito S, Wada N, et al (2007). "Nuclear localization of beta-catenin involved in precancerous change in oral leukoplakia". Mol. Cancer 6: 62. doi:. PMID 17922924. PMC: 2140063. http://www.molecular-cancer.com/content/6//62.
- ^ Sitheeque MA, Samaranayake LP (2003). "Chronic hyperplastic candidosis/candidiasis (candidal leukoplakia)". Crit. Rev. Oral Biol. Med. 14 (4): 253–67. PMID 12907694. http://cro.sagepub.com/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=12907694.
- ^ Leukoplakia, (pdf format) hosted by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Page accessed on December 19, 2006.
- ^ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/beta-carotene/NS_patient-betacarotene
[edit] External links
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