Leukoplakia

Definition of Leukoplakia:

Thickened, white patch on mucous membrane of the mouth, in some cases precancerous.

Topics Related to Leukoplakia

...the condition

“Leukoplakia is a condition in which thick, whitish patches form on the gums, tongue or inside of the cheeks...”

...our question about Chewing tobacco

“Chewing tobacco and snuff play a key role in the development of leukoplakia: Up to 75% of regular users of "smokeless tobacco" products eventually develop leukoplakia where they hold the tobacco against their cheeks.”

...relationship to HIV/AIDS

“HIV or AIDS patients are especially likely to develop hairy leukoplakia. Although modern drugs have reduced its incidence, as many as 25% of HIV-positive people still develop hairy leukoplakia...”

...relationship to Mouth Cancer

“A small percentage of leukoplakia patches show early signs of cancer, and many cancers of the mouth occur next to these white patches...”

...recommendation Surgery

“The treatment of choice is removing the irritants that are causing leukoplakia. If this doesn't work, or the lesions are precancerous, your dentist may decide to remove the leukoplakic patches using a scalpel, laser or cryoprobe (freezing probe...”

...recommendation Tobacco Avoidance

“The vast majority of people who develop leukoplakia are smokers, and most leukoplakic patches either improve or disappear within a year of stopping smoking.”

Mouth Cancer

...the condition

“...These patches, which may become cancerous over time, are called leukoplakia, and are found quite often among chewing tobacco users...”

Report by The Analyst™

Click to see sample report

Health problems rarely occur in isolation or for obvious reasons

Your body is a highly complex, interconnected system. Instead of guessing at what might be wrong, let us help you discover what is really going on inside your body based on the many clues it is giving.

Our multiple symptom checker provides in-depth health analysis by The Analyst™ with full explanations, recommendations and (optionally) doctors available for case review and answering your specific questions.