eMedicine Specialties > Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery > Head & Neck Surgery

Oral Leukoplakia, Idiopathic: Follow-up

Author: Nikos Soukos, DDS, PhD, Director of the Applied Molecular Photomedicine Laboratory, Assistant Member of the Staff, The Forsyth Institute, Clinical Collaborative, Massachusetts General Hospital
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Feb 7, 2008

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

Oral leukoplakia (OL) is managed exclusively in an outpatient setting.

Further Outpatient Care

Care includes monitoring the efficacy of surgical or systemic treatment with clinical observation.

Deterrence/Prevention

If etiologic factors can be determined, avoidance of these factors is recommended.

Prognosis

Approximately 10% of patients who develop OL have invasive carcinoma in the lesion (6%) or will develop carcinoma (4%).6 Despite excision, small dysplastic lesions can be followed by multiple carcinomas and a fatal outcome. In addition, some dysplastic OL lesions may have a worse prognosis than isolated carcinomas without leukoplakia. However, the fact that many dysplastic OL lesions can regress spontaneously shows that the behavior of dysplastic lesions is unpredictable and that no reliable management protocol has been determined. Prolonged and close follow-up care is essential, but the prognosis may still be poor.

Patient Education

  • Patients must be aware that lesions may recur. They should be able to monitor the lesions and report any changes. They should maintain excellent oral hygiene.
  • For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Cancer and Tumors Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education article Cancer of the Mouth and Throat.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to inform patients about the malignant potential of the disease before and after treatment
  • Failure to inform patients of the need for clinical follow-up care
 


More on Oral Leukoplakia, Idiopathic

Overview: Oral Leukoplakia, Idiopathic
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Oral Leukoplakia, Idiopathic
Treatment & Medication: Oral Leukoplakia, Idiopathic
Follow-up: Oral Leukoplakia, Idiopathic
References

References

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Further Reading

Keywords

oral leukoplakia, OL, focal keratosis, hyperkeratosis, mouth cancer, leukoplakia, oral plaque, mouth plaque, idiopathic leukoplakia, idiopathic oral leukoplakia, premalignant oral lesion, premalignant mouth lesion, precancerous lesion, speckled leukoplakia, verrucous leukoplakia, homogenous leukoplakia, speckled OL, verrucous OL, homogenous OL

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Nikos Soukos, DDS, PhD, Director of the Applied Molecular Photomedicine Laboratory, Assistant Member of the Staff, The Forsyth Institute, Clinical Collaborative, Massachusetts General Hospital
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

David J Terris, MD, FACS, Porubsky Professor and Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Georgia
David J Terris, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Bronchoesophagological Association, American College of Surgeons, American Head and Neck Society, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, International Association of Endocrine Surgeons, Phi Beta Kappa, Radiation Research Society, Society of University Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons, and Triological Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Nader Sadeghi, MD, FRCS(C), Associate Professor of Surgery, Director of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, George Washington University
Nader Sadeghi, MD, FRCS(C) is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Head and Neck Society, Federation of Medical Specialists in Quebec, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Christopher L Slack, MD, Otolaryngology-Facial Plastic Surgery, Private Practice, Associated Coastal ENT; Medical Director, Treasure Coast Sleep Disorders
Christopher L Slack, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Arlen D Meyers, MD, MBA, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Arlen D Meyers, MD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and American Head and Neck Society
Disclosure: Advanced Headache Intervention Consulting fee Consulting; Covidien Corp Consulting fee Consulting

 
 
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