Recurrence patterns of oral leukoplakia after curative surgical resection: important factors that predict the risk of recurrence and malignancy.
BACKGROUND
Oral leukoplakia can be treated using a variety of treatment procedures; however, the lesions recur in many cases irrespective of the treatment procedure used. The rate of recurrence was from 7.7% to 38.1%. This study aims to identify the important factors that can lower the risk of recurrence of oral leukoplakia treated by curative surgical resection.


METHODS
The clinical records of 52 patients with oral leukoplakia (53 lesions) who underwent curative surgical resection between 2004 and 2009 were retrospectively analyzed for the rate of recurrence, clinical outcome, epithelial dysplasia, lesion location, and resection margins.


RESULTS
The recurrence rate following curative surgical resection was 15.1%, with the most common site being the gingiva. Malignant transformation occurred in a single patient (1.9%). Minimal resection margins (<3 mm) were observed in many patients with recurrent disease, and recurrence was more likely in cases with positive margins (epithelial abnormalities at the resection margins) than in those with negative margins. There was no significant association between recurrence and the degree of epithelial dysplasia.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that surgical resection of oral leukoplakia is curative only if all areas of epithelial abnormalities are identified and resected. Moreover, an adequate resection margin may reduce the risk of recurrence.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. kuriosur@tmd.ac.jp
Yuri
Y
Kuribayashi
Fumihiko
F
Tsushima
Masaru
M
Sato
Kei-ichi
K
Morita
Ken
K
Omura
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D005887:Gingival Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome