2000 Volume 6 Issue 2 Pages 46-55
This paper presents an analysis of 4 cases of oral leukoplakia, identified over the last 17 years (1980-1996), that developed into squamous cell carcinoma. These cases included 2 males and 2 females; carcinoma was on the lateral tongue in 3 cases, and on the lower gum in 1 case. The mean period of malignant transformation was 3 years and 5 months. None of the patients smoked. An anticancer drug was administered prior to malignant transformation in each of the cases, but they failed to prevent malignancy.
Malignant trasnformation occurred on the tongue in 3 patients who had erosion or an ulcer either at the first visit or during the follow-up period. In the patient with carcinoma of the gum, the lesion showed several recurrences after removal.
The first biopsy revealed that dysplasia was moderate in 3 cases and severe in 1. The dysplasia score, based on the dysplastic criteria of the WHO (1978), progressed in all cases during the follow-up period.
Thus, strict follow-up examination is necessary in cases with such clinical and pathological findings at the first visit, or with such changes during follow-up.
