Oral leukoplakia

Definition

1. Oral leukoplakia is now defined as “a predominantly white lesion of the oral mucosa that cannot be characterized as any other definable lesion”. In addition, a recommendation has been made to distinguish between a provisional clinical diagnosis and a definitive one. 2. Oral leukoplakia is a white patch or plaque that cannot be rubbed off, cannot be characterized clinically or histologically as any other condition, and is not associated with any physical or chemical causative agent except tobacco. Therefore, a process of exclusion establishes the diagnosis of the disease. In general, the term leukoplakia implies only the clinical feature of a persistent, adherent white plaque; therefore, reserve the term for idiopathic lesions when investigations fail to reveal any cause. The term carries absolutely no histologic connotation, although, inevitably, some form of disturbance of the surface epithelium is characteristic.

Exclusions

• Hairy leukoplakia

Inclusions

• Leukoplakia of gingiva

Index Terms