Managing leukoplakia with diode laser: A report of two cases

Abstract

Oral leukoplakia is the most common precancerous lesion of the oral mucosa. WHO defined it as a lesion which has a white patch or plaque on the oral mucosa that cannot be removed by scraping and cannot be classified clinically or microscopically as another disease process. Management of oral leukoplakia should begin with elimination of predisposing habit. There are currently different approaches in the management of Leukoplakia such as scalpel surgery, systemic carotenoids and antioxidants, electro cauterization, cryotherapy and Lasers. Even though on-surgical options are preferred choice of treatment, it takes time to achieve complete regression of lesion and sometimes may not achieve complete resolution. On the other hand, conventional surgical techniques are invasive and cause trauma to the patient. Excision of precancerous oral lesions using LASER offers comparative advantages over traditional scalpel excision. Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. It is surgical technique which excises the targeted tissue using emission of a monochromatic light of specific wavelength. Because of this property, laser excision of the tissue results in complete bloodless field of surgery, reduced chances of post-surgical inflammation and infections and hence better treatment compliance of the patients towards the surgery. This is one of the important goals for management of oral potentially malignant disorders. We present two case reports of homogeneous leukoplakia treated using diode lasers of wavelength 810nm with follow-up. Both cases did not report any post-operative discomfort or inflammation. The aim of this case report is to highlight the importance of laser excision with minimal complications and better treatment outcomes.