Importance of the vaporization margin during CO2 laser treatment of oral leukoplakia: A survival study

Objectives

The main purpose of this study was to assess the response of oral leukoplakia to CO₂ laser vaporization treatment, as well as determining possible factors that may affect recurrence of lesions.

Materials and methods

A retrospective study was conducted, in which the medical records of patients who had been clinically and histologically diagnosed with oral leukoplakia and treated with CO₂ laser between 1996 and 2019 at the Oral Medicine Teaching Unit of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Santiago de Compostela were reviewed.

Results

Fifty-eight patients were included: 36 female and 22 male subjects, with a mean age of 63.7 years old (SD ±13.1). The average follow-up time was 57.5 months (SD ±57.9). A relapse rate of 52.6% was determined. Of all the studied variables, the margin was the only one for which a statistically significant association with recurrence of lesions was demonstrated (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The vaporization of lesions using CO₂ laser with a safety margin of at least 3 mm from the clinical limits of OL is a key factor in preventing recurrence.