Clinical features and presentation of oral potentially malignant disorders

Publication date: Available online 4 April 2018
Source:Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
Author(s): Saman Warnakulasuriya
Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are conditions that precede the appearance of invasive cancers of the oral cavity. The term embraces both precancerous lesions and conditions referred to in the earlier WHO definitions. Leukoplakia is the most common OPMD; erythroplakia though rare is more serious. Several variants of leukoplakia are recognized and clinical subtyping could help in predicting the prognosis to a limited extent. Biopsy is essential to confirm the provisional clinical diagnosis and timely referral to a specialist is indicated. Certain OPMDs such as oral submucous fibrosis are encountered particularly in population groups from Asia with specific life-style habits. This review provides clinical descriptions of the wide range of PMDs encountered in the oral cavity as a prelude to the topics discussed in this focus issue.



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