Malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia in a well‐defined cohort of 144 patients

Abstract

Oral leukoplakia is a potentially malignant disorder of the oral mucosa. The aim of this retrospective study was to identify the factors that possibly predict malignant transformation in a well-defined cohort of patients with a long-term follow-up. All leukoplakias were staged according to a clinicopathological classification and staging system. Furthermore, a certainty factor has been used with which the diagnosis has been established. The group consisted of 144 patients. The size, presence and degree of epithelial dysplasia were incorporated into a clinicopathological classification and staging system. Initial management consisted of surgical excision, CO2 laser vaporisation or observation only. The mean follow-up period was 51.2months (s.d.=39.33, range 12-179months). In 16 of 144 patients (11%), malignant transformation occurred between 20 and 94months (mean 57.0months) after the first visit, the annual malignant transformation rate being approximately 2.6%. A large size of the lesion (≥4cm) showed to be the only statistically significant predictor of malignant transformation (P=0.034). A size of ≥4cm showed to be the only significant predicting factor of malignant transformation in oral leukoplakia. No other epidemiological, aetiological, clinical or histopathological parameters were of statistical significance.