title: [Oral leukoplakia: clinical or histologic entity?].
abstract: The term leukoplakia was coined by the Hungarian Schwimmer to describe the clinical aspect of white lesions appearing on the mucosae. Unfortunately, the use of leukoplakia for diagnostic purposes in oral pathology has led to so much confusion that diagnosis of leukoplakia has been established, using strict histological criteria, for lesions that did not appear as white patches. Moreover, it is known that what has previously been termed leukoplakia is now shown to consist of several distinct entities. The current clinical concept was established by W.H.O. Leukoplakia: a white patch or plaque that cannot be characterized clinically or pathologically as any other disease. Analysis of histological criteria and classification appearing in the literature and review of the cell and tissue abnormalities reveal that many conditions from hyperkeratosis to epidermoid carcinoma can occur within clinical leukoplakia. Orthokeratosis or hyperorthokeratosis is often found in leukoplakia simplex and leukoplakia verrucosa while parakeratosis or hyperparakeratosis is mainly observed in cases of erosive or speckled leukoplakia. Speckled leukoplakia (nodular white excrescences on an erythematous base) is the clinical type involving the more frequently severe dysplasia and carcinoma. This study demonstrate that the term leukoplakia only describes clinical conditions and does not carry any histological connotation
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology
vernacular_title: Leucoplasie orale: entité clinique ou histologique?