Oral leukoplakia (OL) is the most common potentially malignant disorder of the oral mucosa. The etiological role of Candida in leukoplakia has been a subject of debate in recent years. Candida invasion has been suggested to be a significant risk factor for malignant transformation of OL and also it may be associated with certain clinical characteristics such as lesion type, size, and site, dysplasia, and tobacco use. Several studies showed that the greater risk of malignant change in women than men. Finally, the management of this common condition remains a variable and includes local, topical, and systemic therapies such as anti-oxidants, carotenoids, and antifungal therapies.

Background: Oral leukoplakia (OL) is a potentially malignant disorder seen in tobacco users. Salivary biomarkers such as salivary sialic acid which is significantly high in OL and oral cancer serves as a potent biomarker for early diagnosis thereby improving prognosis. Aim: To estimate and compare salivary sialic acid levels in tobacco users with and without OL. Methods: The study included 172 tobacco users reporting to Private Dental Teaching Hospital, aged between 20 and 70 years, selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and divided into two groups. Study group included 76 patients with OL and control group, 96 patients without OL. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected and salivary sialic acid levels were estimated and the results were subjected to statistical analysis (unpaired students t-test). Results: The mean range of salivary sialic acid in controls was 1.898 ± 0.289 µmol/L and cases was 2.680 ± 0.189 µmol/L. Salivary sialic levels are high in cases when compared with controls with a statistically significant P < 0.001*. Conclusion:The results of our study clearly indicate that salivary sialic acid levels are significantly raised in patients with OL when compared with patients without OL. With the observations of our study salivary sialic acid proves to be a sensitive, specific, and cost-effective biomarker for OL.

Hemangiomas are relatively common benign proliferative lesion of vascular tissue origin. They are considered to be benign tumors of infancy characterized by a rapid growth phase with endothelial cell proliferation, followed by gradual involution. It is more common in females when compared to males. In this case report we present a case of Lobular capillary hemangioma in the right buccal mucosa in a 39 year old female.