The various forms of leukoplakia can be regarded as a long line of independent "diseases". These diseases have names originating from their presumed cause.
For this reason, the different forms of leukoplakia are named:
- Tobacco-induced leukoplakia. The symptoms are a strongly cornified and thickened greyish-white oral mucosa with small, central red dots in the palate.
- Alcohol-induced leukoplakia - which causes a whitish surface resembling cauterization.
- Irritation-induced leukoplaki from e.g. biting or pressing your tongue against the inside of your cheeks. It could also be the result of long-lasting contact between the oral mucosa and cracked teeth or fillings or denture edges.
- Vitamin deficiency-induced leukoplakia - in which vitamin A deficiency leads to cornification of the epithelial layer (avascular layer of cells that coat the skin and mucous membranes) around the small salivary glands of the palate and the respiratory epithelium - vitamin B deficiency will generally be a contributing cause.
- Hormonal leukoplakia is supposed to exist, but it has not been sufficiently investigated.
- Galvanic leukoplakia can very often be seen when several different kinds of metals are present in the mouth. Often, an amalgam filling can be seen in close proximity of a gold crown or other metals. It can also occur where a number of amalgam fillings with different contents of metals are present.
- Candida leukoplakia is a whitish plaque which can relatively easy be scratched off and which primarily is caused by the fungus Candida albicans.
The pathological picture of the mentioned leukoplakias can appear in very different forms.
Leukoplakia occurs somewhat more frequently in men than in women and most cases occur between the ages of 40 and 60 years.
It is important to distinguish the different leukoplakias from the other diseases that have a more or less whitish/greyish appearance whether they appear as whole spots or lines.
Linear whitish drawings on the mucous membranes can point in the direction of Lichen Planus Oralis/Dermis. Moreover, the leukoplakias can be confused with White Sponge Nevus, chemical or thermic burns, Psoriasis, or Lupus Erutematosus.
All kinds of leukoplakia can be acute, chronic, flat, wart-shaped, or somewhere in between.
