Laryngeal Leukoplakia: A Focus on Histology

Abstract

Leukoplakia is a clinical term referring to a whitish plaque on the mucosal surfaces that cannot be scraped off. Otolaryngologists daily have to face such findings in both the oral cavity and the larynx. In the latter, several pathological conditions ranging from reactive to neoplastic lesions can underlie leukoplakia. Hence, a proper understanding of the histological spectrum of laryngeal diseases sharing leukoplakia as their main clinical presentation plays a critical role in the clinical management of patients. In that setting, the histological assessment of laryngeal dysplasia is known to have represented a matter of disagreement mostly about grading, and several grading systems have been proposed over time. Nonetheless, the histologic assessment of laryngeal leukoplakia is a mandatory requirement in clinical planning, leading to a proper treatment choice.