A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis of Oral Leukoplakia: An Institutional Study

Abstract

Oral Leukoplakia (OL) is a potentially malignant disorder, which is widespread amongst Indian population due to use of smokeless tobacco. It is a diagnosis of exclusion from other oral white lesions. Objectives: To analyze the cases of Oral Leukoplakia in relation to demographic details and clinicopathologic features. Materials and Method: Records of OL of last 10 years (2012-2021) from departmental archives were retrieved. 213 cases were assessed and analyzed to determine the distribution according to age, gender, anatomical sites, tissue abuse habits and histopathological grading. Descriptive statistics were applied. Results: Out of 213 patients, there was a male predilection (87.7%) with mean age of occurrence being 4-5th decade (29.5%). The most common site of occurrence was buccal mucosa (49%). Among all these, 3.2% of cases showed malignant transformation. Conclusion: Among 213 patients assessed, malignant transformation rate of 3.2% was observed in our study. To prevent progress of oral cancer, early detection is important because survival is influenced by the extent of disease at the time of diagnosis.