2003 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 17-25
Discrepancies between clinical and histopathological diagnosis were investigated in 285 sites and 72 sites which were biopsied under the clinical diagnosis of oral leukoplakia and oral lichen planes, respectively.
The results revealed that the rate of discrepancy in oral leukoplakia was 13.4% and the most frequent histopathological diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma. These lesions were mostly located at the tongue and the majority of these lesions were the erosiva type. On the other hand, the rate of diagnostic discrepancy in oral lichen planus was 44.4%. The most frequent histopathological diagnosis was oral leukoplakia, followed by non-specific ulcer. Two lesions were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. These lesions were accompanied with erosion and located at the gingiva.
These results indicate that biopsy is indispensable in clinically diagnosed oral leukoplakia arising on the tongue and that biopsy seems to be necessary in atypical lesions clinically diagnosed as oral lichen planus.
