RETROSPECTIVE AND OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF POTENTIALLY MALIGNANT DISORDERS IN A PATHOLOGICAL ANATOMY SERVICE

Abstract

Objective To evaluate a study population of a pathological anatomy service that was affected by potentially malignant disorders (PMDs), through a retrospective and observational study. Study Design Our study examined 144 cases of PMDs over a 20-year period, analyzing the frequency of such characteristics as age, gender, ethnicity, lesion location, histopathological diagnosis, associated risk factors, and presence of epithelial dysplasia. A follow-up clinical examination was also performed. Results Higher prevalence was observed in white females, in an age group of 61-70 years, and the buccal mucosa was the most affected site. Leukoplakia was the most frequent PMD; associated risk factors, alcohol, and tobacco in male patients were the most prevalent; and six cases of epithelial dysplasia were identified. Thirty-one patients attended the follow-up dental appointment, and 12 exhibited recurrences of oral lesions. Conclusion There is a lack of epidemiological surveys and follow-up clinical examinations for PMDs in Brazil and worldwide for the early detection of lesions. The difficulty in keeping the registration data of public healthcare services up-to-date, as well as low motivation and patient support for prolonged clinical follow-up, were also observed. To evaluate a study population of a pathological anatomy service that was affected by potentially malignant disorders (PMDs), through a retrospective and observational study. Our study examined 144 cases of PMDs over a 20-year period, analyzing the frequency of such characteristics as age, gender, ethnicity, lesion location, histopathological diagnosis, associated risk factors, and presence of epithelial dysplasia. A follow-up clinical examination was also performed. Higher prevalence was observed in white females, in an age group of 61-70 years, and the buccal mucosa was the most affected site. Leukoplakia was the most frequent PMD; associated risk factors, alcohol, and tobacco in male patients were the most prevalent; and six cases of epithelial dysplasia were identified. Thirty-one patients attended the follow-up dental appointment, and 12 exhibited recurrences of oral lesions. There is a lack of epidemiological surveys and follow-up clinical examinations for PMDs in Brazil and worldwide for the early detection of lesions. The difficulty in keeping the registration data of public healthcare services up-to-date, as well as low motivation and patient support for prolonged clinical follow-up, were also observed.