Treatment of oral leukoplakia, common treatment options

Viral infection is a common cause of oral leukoplakia. White patches will appear on the edge of the tongue. To treat oral leukoplakia, we must first pay attention to the nutrition of the diet and ensure adequate rest. Maintaining a good mood is also beneficial to the patient's recovery.

1. Treatment plan

(1) Paying attention to nutrition, combining work and rest, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a good mood can help regulate the patient's immune function and slow down or prevent the progression of the disease.

(2) Patients with concurrent Candida infection can use anti-Candida drugs topically or systemically.

(3) Topical application of 0.1% retinoic acid solution can temporarily eliminate lesions but cannot prevent recurrence.

(4) HIV antibody-positive patients should be treated according to the principles of AIDS treatment, with effective antiviral drugs used systemically and acyclovir used topically or systemically as appropriate.

2. Diagnostic examination

This disease has the following characteristics: the lesions are on the lateral edge of the tongue and are white patches with a hairy appearance. The patches are not easy to wipe off and antifungal treatment is ineffective. Combined with the histological characteristics of this disease, a diagnosis can generally be made. Sometimes it is necessary to differentiate it from the following diseases: ① Candidiasis: It is common in the elderly and weak, those who have used broad-spectrum antibiotics for a long time, and those who receive immunosuppressive drugs. The lesions in the mouth are evenly distributed, and the buccal mucosa is the most common area. The white film is easily wiped off, and the antifungal treatment is effective. ② Leukoplakia: It mostly occurs in middle-aged and elderly patients, most commonly in the buccal mucosa. In the early stage, the lesions appear as milky white spots or patches with clear boundaries and a smooth surface. In the late stage, they may become thick and rough. ③Black hairy tongue: Black hairy tongue is caused by excessive proliferation of filiform papillae. It usually occurs in the front of the lambdoid groove in the dense filiform papillae area on the dorsum of the tongue, and sometimes it can also occur on both sides of the tongue. Hairy tongue is often brown or brown-black and can be distinguished from this disease based on the location and shape of the lesions. ④ White sponge nevus: This disease occurs at birth or a few years later, and the lesions are mostly seen in the cheeks, lips, tongue edge, palate and other parts. It is pearly white, soft like a sponge, and has wrinkles on the surface, making it easy to identify.

3. Causes of Disease

Oral hairy leukoplakia often occurs in people susceptible to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III). Recently, some people believe that HTLV-Ⅲ is not the direct cause of hairy leukoplakia. Hairy leukoplakia will only occur when it is accompanied by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, mixed infection of EBV and HPV, or HPV combined with herpes virus infection.