Importance of the vaporization margin during CO2 laser treatment of oral leukoplakia: A survival study

Abstract

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to assess the response of oral leukoplakia to CO2 laser vaporization treatment, as well as determining possible factors that may affect recurrence of lesions. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted, in which the medical records of patients who had been clinically and histologically diagnosed with oral leukoplakia and treated with CO2 laser between 1996 and 2019 at the Oral Medicine Teaching Unit of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Santiago de Compostela were reviewed. Results: Fifty-eight patients were included: 36 female and 22 male subjects, with a mean age of 63.7 years old (SD ±13.1). The average follow-up time was 57.5 months (SD ±57.9). A relapse rate of 52.6% was determined. Of all the studied variables, the margin was the only one for which a statistically significant association with recurrence of lesions was demonstrated (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The vaporization of lesions using CO2 laser with a safety margin of at least 3 mm from the clinical limits of OL is a key factor in preventing recurrence.