What are white spots in the mouth? Causes of white spots in the mouth

White spots on the mouth are painful, irritating, and also make the mouth look dirty. In fact, people with this symptom may suffer from a disease called oral leukoplakia. Since these alone cannot fully determine the outcome, here are some methods for reference. Get prompt treatment.

Oral leukoplakia refers to plaque-like lesions of white or grayish white keratotic lesions that occur only on the oral mucosa. It is a common non-infectious chronic disease that can occur in any part of the oral mucosa, but is most common in the cheeks and tongue. In addition to white, the color of white spots can also appear as a mixture of red and white. The changes in tissue pathology are the characteristics of precancerous lesions - abnormal epithelial proliferation. The patients are mostly middle-aged and elderly men.

diagnosis

The most common sites for leukoplakia are the oral mucosa of the cheeks, back of the tongue, ventral tongue, lips, palate, floor of the mouth, gums, etc., but it can sometimes occur in other parts of the body. Some types have more specific locations: granular leukoplakia are more common in the buccal mucosa at the corners of the mouth; wrinkled paper-like leukoplakia are more common in the floor of the mouth and tongue; warty leukoplakia are more common in the gums. The site of vitiligo and the common area of ​​white keratosis are different, and they have nothing in common in shape and texture. Vitiligo and white keratosis can be distinguished by the site of onset, the texture of the lesions, and the clarity of the lesion boundaries. In addition to microabscesses and abnormal epithelial proliferation, the presence of pathogens in tissues can be confirmed by periodic acid-Schiff staining or culture, and histological examination is more definitive.

Differential Diagnosis

1. White edema

It is more common in middle-aged men than in women, and is more likely to occur in those with fuller cheeks. White edema has few subjective symptoms, so it rarely causes medical treatment. The buccal mucosa on both sides is translucent and pale, resembling the skin of fingers that have been soaked in water for too long. It is soft and non-tender to palpation. White edema generally does not require treatment.

2. White wrinkled gingivostomatitis

The disease is present at birth but is not obvious. It begins to develop rapidly during puberty but does not worsen with age. Gingivostomatitis is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disease that can occur in the nasal cavity, anus and vulva in addition to the oral mucosa.

3. White keratosis

White keratotic plaques on the mucosa caused by long-term stimulation by mechanical or chemical factors. The clinical manifestations are grayish white or white plaques or patches with unclear boundaries, which are not higher than or slightly higher than the mucosal surface and are smooth and soft. After the stimulus is removed, the lesions gradually become thinner and may eventually disappear completely. Histopathology showed epithelial hyperkeratosis, slight or no thickening of the epithelial layer, and no or slight infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria.

4. In addition, it should also be differentiated from seborrheic leukoderma, white sponge nevus, lichen planus, submucosal fibrosis, syphilitic mucosal spots, etc.