Clinical study of head and neck leukoplakia

Abstract

White lesions in the larynx, pharynx, and oral regions, which are called leukoplakias clinically, show a variety of histopathological features, including hyperplasia, dysplasia and cancer. Therefore, they should be treated carefully as precancerous lesions. Eighty-one patients with leukoplakia of the larynx, pharynx and oral tissue were treated between 1996 and 2005. The majority of these patients with leukoplakia in the larynx were heavy smokers. In the 11 cases of leukoplakia in the larynx, the white lesions were resolved by conservative treatment. Based on the findings above, it is important for heavy smokers to stop smoking completely. In leukoplakia of the larynx, squamous cell carcinoma was detected in 15 cases (26. 8%). In leukoplakia of the oral tissue and pharynx, squamous cell carcinoma was detected in 2 (8. 0%). Among the 81 cases in this series, squamous cell carcinoma was detected in 6 laryngeal lesions and 1 oral and pharyngeal lesions. Histological findings of these lesions were all dysplasia, initially. Therefore, long term follow-up is recommended if the histologoical findings of leukoplakia initially demonstrate dysplasia.