title: Between-lesion discrepancies in terms of dysplasia, cell turnover and diagnosis in patients with multiple potentially malignant oral lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study assessed patients with multiple oral lesions to evaluate the mis-estimation rate in terms of diagnosis and risk of malignant transformation when only one biopsy is performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients presenting at least two white and/or red lesions in different oral mucosa sites with a final diagnosis of leuko/erythroplakias or lichenoid lesions were included, for a total of 70 biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen patients (54%) had at least one between-lesion discrepancy considering the presence/absence of dysplasia (10 patients), normal/high cell turnover (13 patients) or diagnosis (5 patients). Discrepancies were not related to clinical aspect or within-patient similarity of lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple oral lesions in the same patient can significantly differ in terms of dysplasia, high cell turnover and, even diagnosis. Multiple biopsies are imperative and diagnosis as well as risk of malignant transformation should be formulated for each single lesion rather than for each individual patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Montebugnoli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabusi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andrea
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gissi Davide
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Bartolomeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Cervellati
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Servidio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dora
keywords: Leukoplakia; cell turnover; diagnosis; dysplasia; lichenoid lesion