title: Clinicopathologic aspects of oral leukoplakia in smokers and nonsmokers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study assessed possible clinicopathologic differences between oral leukoplakia in current smokers and never-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 52 patients with oral leukoplakia. Clinical and pathologic data (age, sex, lesion size, lesion location, and presence/absence of dysplasia) were compared between 41 current-smoking patients and 11 never-smoking patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the smoking patients was 49 yrs, significantly lower than the never-smoking patients (59 yrs) (P < .05). The proportion of women was markedly and significantly higher in the never-smoker group than in the smoker group (82% vs. 22%). The odds ratio for lesions on the tongue (0.80, 95% CI 0.01-0.37) was statistically significant at the 5% level (i.e., 95% CI). Dysplastic lesions were observed most frequently in the never-smoking patients, and this difference was statistically significant (P = .026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicate that nonsmoking-related oral leukoplakia lesions are more frequent among women than among men, are more likely to be located on the tongue than smoking-related lesions, and show epithelial dysplasia more frequently than smoking-related lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. cidinizm@usc.es
authors.forename: Marcio Diniz
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanco-Carrión
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gándara-Vila
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Antúnez-López
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-García
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gándara Rey
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009060:Mouth Floor / Q000473:pathology; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000473:pathology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000473:pathology*