Proliferative Verrucous Leukoplakia of the Gingiva: A Rare Palatal Presentation

Abstract

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL), distinct clinical form of oral leukoplakia, is a rare potentially malignant oral mucosal disorder with a high rate of progression to oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and verrucous carcinoma (VC). It frequently involves periodontal sites. PVL is characterized by a high recurrence rate. The condition develops initially as focal clinical hyperkeratosis that progressively becomes a wide multifocal disease with gross exophytic features. Multiple oral sites such as buccal mucosa, gingiva, alveolar ridges and tongue are affected, but gingiva is one of the most frequently involved site. A clinically distinctive form of PVL, called PVL of the gingiva, was proposed by some investigators to identify a subset of patients with only gingival involvement. This paper attempts to describe a case of PVL with a rare palatal presentation with periodontal involvement.