Bridging Dysplasia to Diagnostic Oral Pathology: Comparative Evaluation of Leukoplakia as a Predictor of Oral Malignancy

Authors

  • Amna Sarfaraz Shifa College of Dentistry Shifa Tamer - e- Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Mariam Fatima Shifa College of Dentistry Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Sahd Rashid Shifa College of Dentistry Shifa Tamer - e- Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Saba Ejaz Rawal Institute of Health Sciences , Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Ayesha Siddiqa Shifa College of Dentistry, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Aiza Khan Hazarat Bari Imam Sarkar Medical and Dental College, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Kainat Zafar Akhtar Saeed Medical College, Akhtar Saeed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4567-8833

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36283/ziun-pjmd14-3/026

Keywords:

Leukoplakia, Oral, Mouth Neoplasms, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, Epithelial Cells

Abstract

Background: Oral leukoplakia is a frequently encountered premalignancy and potential source of oral dysplastic change, with the probable clinical manifestation in the form of an oral leukoplakia lesion. In this study, the authors endeavor to carry out the histological grading of dysplasia in leukoplakia and the relationship between the grades of dysplasia and malignant transformation.

Methods: One hundred and twenty clinically diagnosed oral leukoplakia patients were studied in a cross-sectional analysis. Demographic, tobacco history, and features of the lesions were documented. Histopathological analysis was used to decide on the existence and extent of epithelial dysplasia. Stratified cases were associated with dysplasia grade (none, mild, moderate, severe/CIS) and compared to the demonstration of malignant transformation during follow-up biopsy or surgical extirpation. SPSS version 26.0 was used to calculate % and estimate the values.

Results: Most patients (65%) were males, and the most dominant age group was among those aged 41-60. In 75 per cent of cases, tobacco use was reported. Histologically, there was mild dysplasia in 35 percent, moderate in 23.3 percent, and severe dysplasia/CIS in 13.3 percent of the organisms, with 28.3 percent being negative for dysplasia. The rate of malignant transformation was observed to be increased with dysplasia grade: 2.9 percent with no dysplasia, 9.5 percent with mild, and 32.1 percent with moderate dysplasia, and 81.3 percent in severe dysplasia (p<0.01). Tobacco use and gender were also positively correlated with dysplastic changes, malignant potential.

Conclusion: There is a quantifiable relationship between the malignant potential of oral leukoplakia depending on the severity of dysplasia as it appears in the histology.

Author Biographies

  • Amna Sarfaraz, Shifa College of Dentistry Shifa Tamer - e- Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Department of Oral Pathology ,

  • Mariam Fatima, Shifa College of Dentistry Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Department of Oral Medicine,

  • Sahd Rashid, Shifa College of Dentistry Shifa Tamer - e- Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Department of Oral Medicine,

  • Saba Ejaz, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences , Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Department of Oral Pathology,

  • Ayesha Siddiqa, Shifa College of Dentistry, Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Department of Oral Medicine,

  • Aiza Khan, Hazarat Bari Imam Sarkar Medical and Dental College, Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Department of Oral Biology, 

  • Kainat Zafar, Akhtar Saeed Medical College, Akhtar Saeed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.

    Department of Pathology, 

References

1. Wils LJ, Poell JB, Peferoen LA, Evren I, Brouns ER, de Visscher JG, et al. The role of differentiated dysplasia in the prediction of malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia. J Oral Pathol Med. 2023 Nov;52(10):930-8. Doi: 10.1111/jop.13483.

2. Wils LJ, Poell JB, Evren I, Koopman MS, Brouns ER, de Visscher JG, et al. Incorporation of differentiated dysplasia improves prediction of oral leukoplakia at increased risk of malignant progression. Mod Pathol. 2020 Jun;33(6):1033-40. Doi: 10.1038/s41379-019-0444-0.

3. Monteiro L, Mello FW, Warnakulasuriya S. Tissue biomarkers for predicting the risk of oral cancer in patients diagnosed with oral leukoplakia: A systematic review. Oral Dis. 2021 Nov;27(8):1977-92. Doi: 10.1111/odi.13747.

4. Tilakaratne WM, Jayasooriya PR, Jayasuriya NS, De Silva RK. Oral epithelial dysplasia: Causes, quantification, prognosis, and management challenges. Periodontol 2000. 2019 Jun;80(1):126-47. Doi: 10.1111/prd.12259.

5. Monteiro L, Rocha E, Ferreira S, Salazar F, Pacheco JJ, Warnakulasuriya S. Tissue Biomarkers for Predicting the Risk of Oral Cancer in Patients Diagnosed With Oral Leukoplakia: A Systematic Review of the Past 4 Years. J Oral Pathol Med. 2025 May;54(5):283-9. Doi: 10.1111/jop.13632.

6. Ranganathan K, Kavitha L. Oral epithelial dysplasia: Classifications and clinical relevance in risk assessment of oral potentially malignant disorders. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2019 Jan 1;23(1):19-27. Doi: 10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_13_19.

7. Warnakulasuriya S. Oral potentially malignant disorders: A comprehensive review on clinical aspects and management. Oral oncol. 2020 Mar 1;102:104550. Doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2019.104550.

8. Soares AB, Warnakulasuriya S, da Silveira Terra Junqueira L, de Freitas AL, Schneider A, Silva AR, et al. Risk Assessment of Oral Leukoplakia by Individual Dysplasia Features. J Oral Pathol Med. 2025 May 29. Doi: 10.1111/jop.13633.

9. Celentano A, Glurich I, Borgnakke WS, Farah CS. World Workshop on Oral Medicine VII: Prognostic biomarkers in oral leukoplakia and proliferative verrucous leukoplakia—A systematic review of retrospective studies. Oral Dis. 2021 May;27(4):848-80. Doi: 10.1111/odi.13363.

10. Warnakulasuriya S, Kujan O, Aguirre‐Urizar JM, Bagan JV, González‐Moles MÁ, Kerr AR, et al. Oral potentially malignant disorders: A consensus report from an international seminar on nomenclature and classification, convened by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer. Oral dis. 2021 Nov;27(8):1862-80. Doi: 10.1111/odi.13704.

11. Odell E, Kujan O, Warnakulasuriya S, Sloan P. Oral epithelial dysplasia: recognition, grading and clinical significance. Oral Dis. 2021 Nov;27(8):1947-76. Doi: 10.1111/odi.13993.

12. Brouns ER, Evren I, Wils LJ, Poell JB, Brakenhoff RH, Bloemena E, et al. Oral leukoplakia classification and staging system with incorporation of differentiated dysplasia. Oral Dis. 2023 Oct;29(7):2667-76. Doi: 10.1111/odi.14295.

13. Tovaru S, Costache M, Perlea P, Caramida M, Totan C, Warnakulasuriya S, et al. Oral leukoplakia: A clinicopathological study and malignant transformation. Oral dis. 2023 May;29(4):1454-63. Doi: 10.1111/odi.14123.

14. Evren I, Brouns ER, Poell JB, Wils LJ, Brakenhoff RH, Bloemena E, et al. Associations between clinical and histopathological characteristics in oral leukoplakia. Oral dis. 2023 Mar;29(2):696-706. Doi: 10.1111/odi.14038.

15. Chaturvedi AK, Udaltsova N, Engels EA, Katzel JA, Yanik EL, Katki HA, et al. Oral leukoplakia and risk of progression to oral cancer: a population-based cohort study. JNCI: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2020 Oct;112(10):1047-54. Doi: 10.1093/jnci/djz238.

16. Rubert A, Bagán L, Bagán JV. Oral leukoplakia, a clinical-histopathological study in 412 patients. Journal of clinical and experimental dentistry. 2020 Jun 1;12(6):e540. Doi: 10.4317/jced.57091.

17. Jayasooriya PR, Dayaratne K, Dissanayake UB, Warnakulasuriya S. Malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia: a follow-up study. Clin Oral Investig. 2020 Dec;24:4563-9. Doi: 10.1007/s00784-020-03322-4.

18. Pinto AC, Carames J, Francisco H, Chen A, Azul AM, Marques D. Malignant transformation rate of oral leukoplakia—systematic review. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2020 Jun 1;129(6):600-11. Doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2020.02.017.

19. Jäwert F, Pettersson H, Jagefeldt E, Holmberg E, Kjeller G, Öhman J. Clinicopathologic factors associated with malignant transformation of oral leukoplakias: a retrospective cohort study. International J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2021 Nov 1;50(11):1422-8. Doi: 10.1016/j.ijom.2021.01.012.

20. Rubert A, Bagán L, Bagán JV. Oral leukoplakia, a clinical-histopathological study in 412 patients. J Clin Exp Dent. 2020 Jun 1;12(6):e540. Doi: 10.4317/jced.57091.

21. Maymone MB, Greer RO, Kesecker J, Sahitya PC, Burdine LK, Cheng AD, et al. Premalignant and malignant oral mucosal lesions: Clinical and pathological findings. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019 Jul 1;81(1):59-71. Doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.09.060.

22. Pritzker KP, Darling MR, Hwang JT, Mock D. Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD): what is the clinical utility of dysplasia grade?. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2021 Mar 4;21(3):289-98. Doi: 10.1080/14737159.2021.1898949.

23. Walsh T, Macey R, Kerr AR, Lingen MW, Ogden GR, Warnakulasuriya S. Diagnostic tests for oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders in patients presenting with clinically evident lesions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021(7). Doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010276.pub3.

24. Kokubun K, Nakajima K, Akashi Y, Yamamoto K, Katakura A, Matsuzaka K. Clinicopathological evaluation of oral leukoplakia: a single-center study of 676 cases in Japan. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2024 May 1;137(5):529-36. Doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2024.02.022.

25. Wils LJ, Poell JB, Brink A, Evren I, Brouns ER, de Visscher JG, et al. Elucidating the genetic landscape of oral leukoplakia to predict malignant transformation. Clin Cancer Res. 2023 Feb 1;29(3):602-13. Doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-22-2210.

Downloads

Published

2025-07-21

Metrics

How to Cite

1.
Sarfaraz A, Fatima M, Rashid S, Ejaz S, Siddiqa A, Khan A, et al. Bridging Dysplasia to Diagnostic Oral Pathology: Comparative Evaluation of Leukoplakia as a Predictor of Oral Malignancy. PJMD [Internet]. 2025 Jul. 21 [cited 2026 Jun. 4];14(3):167-72. Available from: https://ojs.zu.edu.pk/pjmd/article/view/3954

Similar Articles

201-210 of 289

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.