The frequency and distribution of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) may vary among different populations.
Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) are tissue changes that may precede squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (1-3), a malignant neoplasm that accounts for 80-90% of all cancers in the oral cavity.
The most common
disorders in this group are leukoplakia, speckled leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and actinic cheilitis.
Certain red and white mucosal lesions/conditions in the oral cavity (like leukoplakia/oral lichenplanus) have been identified to have a potential to undergo malignant transformation to oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC).
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This has been reported in several longitudinal studies, where many such red/white lesions have undergone malignant transformation on subsequent follow-up.