Phenol peel therapy for oral leukoplakia: report of three cases

Abstract

Chemical peeling is a treatment method that destroys the epidermis and/or dermis with subsequent regeneration of new epidermis and dermis using a peeling agent. Phenol is one peeling agent that has been extremely effective in obtaining a complete response for gingival leukoplakia. In this report, we describe three cases of gingival leukoplakia that were treated with phenol peel, and we discuss the effects and applicable cases. All patients consulted our hospital in 2003 and refused surgical treatment, including laser surgery, so we performed chemical peeling using a phenolalcohol method that was previously reported for gingival melanin pigmentation. All cases achieved a complete response without local anesthesia or hospitalization. No patient felt pain at the time of application or post-treatment. None of the cases had a local recurrence or malignant transformation for approximately 69 months after the application of phenol peel. The use of a phenol peel may also be indicated for leukoplakia with dysplasia or other epithelial lesions. However, additional clinical studies that closely follow treated patients and further basic studies are still needed.