Oral erythroplakia—What is it?

Abstract

Oral erythroplakia is a rare type of lesion, and little is known about the origin of the lesion. It has traditionally been described as the red counterpart of oral leukoplakia, which implies that it is a red lesion that cannot be characterized clinically or pathologically as any other definable lesion. A definition by exclusion is less satisfactory than a positive description to define a lesion, and as erythroplakia probably is related to lichenoid lesions, a new approach to perceive the lesion is proposed based on the clinical features of a fiery red, sharply demarcated lesion situated at a slightly lower level than the surrounding mucosa. Such a definition would probably help clinicians distinguish erythroplakia from other red lesions of the oral mucosa. Although the course of such lesions varies, a significant proportion will develop malignancy, which is why they should be followed at short intervals.

Retrospective analysis of oral erythroplakia focused on multiple and multifocal malignant behavior

“…It was observed 11 (25%) cases of mild/moderate dysplasia, 21 (47.7%) cases of severe dysplasia, and 12 (27.3%) cases of frank carcinoma at the initial diagnosis. This was in keep with the feature that the majority of OE cases harbored high‐grade dysplasia or frank carcinoma (Holmstrup ()). Furthermore, 11 (25%) patients, including 3 with moderate and 8 with severe dysplasia, subsequently developed oral carcinoma.…”

“…We read with interest the article (odi.12709) entitled “Oral erythroplakia—What is it?” by Holmstrup (). The author reviewed the prevalence, etiology, clinical, and histopathological features of oral erythroplakia (OE), but the prognosis, especially long‐term behavior, was not well addressed.…”

Potentially malignant disorders of the oral cavity and oral dysplasia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of malignant transformation rate by subtype

“…After title/abstract screening, 4324 papers were selected for abstract evaluation. Of these, 92 studies were included in the final analysis . Fourty‐six reports were on LP, 5 on OLL, 28 on LE, 8 on OE, 4 on OSF, and 11 on PVL (all the studies taken for every subgroup sum up to a figure higher than 92 because some studies focused on more than one OPMD).…”

A Snapshot of Knowledge about Oral Cancer in Italy: A 505 Person Survey

“…Interestingly, in our study, one third of participants believed that symptoms as burning or dry mouth were most indicative of oral cancer. Very few participants (13.86%) believed that red lesions might indicate OSCC and only 4.55% identified both white and red plaque; this is particularly impressive, given the high rate of malignant transformation reported in red oral plaque (erythroplakias) [ 35 , 36 ], As a consequence of this misunderstanding of initial signs, patients may not consult a dentist, increasing the duration of diagnostic delay.…”