2. Who is affected by the
disease?
There is no general age for when this
disease occurs as it can occur at any
given time. However, it is more
common between the ages of 21-30
years old.
It occurs almost equally in male and
females, with males experiencing it
slightly more.
There is no particular type of race
where this disease is more
predominant in.
3. What is Leukoplakia?
Patches on the tongue, in the
mouth, or in the inside of the
cheek that occur in response to
long-term irritation.
4. Signs and Symptoms of
Leukoplakia
A sign that Leukoplakia is occuring is the
development of a white patch, that
slowly appears over weeks to months.
Symptoms of Leukoplakia are:
painless, fuzzy white patches on the side
of the tongue; these sores are thick and
slightly raised which makes them
difficult to scrape off, are usually white
or gray and can sometimes be
red, which are called
erythroplakia, which is a condition that
can lead to cancer
5. Effects and Treatments of
Leukoplakia
Effects of Leukoplakia are: Tobacco smokers
must avoid all tobacco products and alcohol
intake should be reduced by those who
drink alcohol. All in all, leukoplakia is
relatively harmless.
Not all cases of Leukoplakia need treatment
but in some cases treatments for
Leukoplakia include: Systemic medications
like antiviral drugs such as, valacyclovir;
and Topical medications which are solutions
applied to the spot of the Leukoplakia such
as, tretinoin.
6. When does Leukoplakia
occur?
Leukoplakia occurs at any time
during your life but studies have
shown that its most likely to occur
between the ages of 21-30 and at
a mean age of 40.
Leukoplakia mainly affects the
mucus membranes of the
mouth, which is thought to be
caused by irritation.
7. Causes of Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia is caused by tobacco
use, and this includes both chewing
and smoking. Although its not a
proven cause, long term alcohol use
and other chronic irritants can
contribute to Leukoplakia.
8. Sources
-Dugdale, D. C., Schwartz, S., & Zieve, D. (2011, July 20).
Leukoplakia. PubMed Health. Retrieved February
6, 2012, from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002041/
-Mishra, M., Mohanty, J., Sengupta, S., & Tripathy, S.
(2005). Epidemiological and clinicopathological study of
oral leukoplakia. IJDVL. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from
http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-
6323;year=2005;volume=71;issue=3;spage=161;epage=
165;aulast=Mishra
-Williams, Darren R. "Dental Health and Leukoplakia."
WebMD. WebMD, 15 Mar. 2009. Web. 06 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-
leukoplakia>.
-Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
(2010, November 2). Leukoplakia.
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/leukoplakia/DS00458
.html. Retrieved February 7, 2012, from
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/leukoplakia/DS00458.
html
-David C. Dugdale (2010, July 20). Leukoplakia. MedLine
Plus. Retrieved February 7, 2012, from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001046.
htm