ABSTRACT
Potentially malignant disorders (PMD) are recognisable oral mucosal lesions, primarily leukoplakia, but also including erythroplakia, erythroleukoplakia and proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, which display variable tissue disorganisation and dysmaturation features histopathologically classified as epithelial dysplasia, and precede, in an unpredictable manner, invasive squamous cell carcinoma development. Clinical observation, comprising oral lesion recognition and provisional diagnosis by incision biopsy, photography, routine inspection and patient monitoring, together comprise the traditional PMD management protocol. Numerous medical treatments have been proposed over many years to facilitate PMD management, including both local and systemic chemopreventive agents. Surgical intervention by conventional scalpel excision and primary closure of small defects, or by mucosal or skin grafting techniques for large oral defects, has rarely proved popular with clinicians or patients, primarily due to localised post-surgical scarring, contracture and deformity and the frequent failure of skin grafts to take reliably within the unforgiving oral environment.
