White lesions in the oral cavity: clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment

Abstract

White lesions in the oral cavity are common and have multiple etiologies, some of which are also associated with dermatological disease. While most intraoral white lesions are benign, some are premalignant and/or malignant at the time of clinical presentation, making it extremely important to accurately identify and appropriately manage these lesions. Due to their similar clinical appearances, it may be difficult sometimes to differentiate benign white lesions from their premalignant/malignant counterparts. This review will discuss many of the most common intraoral white lesions including their clinical presentation, how to make an accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment and management strategies.

Keywords: geographic tongue; hairy tongue; leukoedema; nicotine stomatitis; oral frictional hyperkeratosis; oral leukoplakia; oral lichen planus; oral lichenoid reaction; oral squamous cell carcinoma; smokeless tobacco keratosis; white sponge nevus.