Atlas · Plate VII · General and Oral Pathology · 03
White lesions
Many white changes are harmless: linea alba, frictional keratosis and leukoedema, which fades when the cheek is stretched. Others deserve a closer look: smokeless tobacco keratosis where the tobacco is held, nicotine stomatitis on a pipe smoker's palate, the lacy Wickham striae of lichen planus on both cheeks, and EBV-related hairy leukoplakia on the lateral tongue. Pseudomembranous candidiasis wipes off; leukoplakia cannot be rubbed off.
High-yield facts · 7
- Frictional keratosis, linea alba and leukoedema are benign white changes; leukoedema disappears when the mucosa is stretched.T5
- Smokeless tobacco keratosis forms where the tobacco is held (usually the mandibular vestibule).T5
- Nicotine stomatitis: white palate with red dots (inflamed minor salivary gland ducts), linked to pipe smoking and hot drinks.T5
- Oral lichen planus is a T cell-mediated condition; the reticular form (Wickham striae) is the most common; erosive forms are painful.S46
- Oral lichen planus is often bilateral on the buccal mucosa and affects middle-aged women more.S46
- Hairy leukoplakia: corrugated white plaques on the lateral tongue, caused by EBV in immunosuppressed patients.T5
- White sponge nevus is a hereditary, benign, spongy white lesion.T5
Facts are written in our own words; each tag links to its source. Values marked "sources vary" differ between references, so check the one your program uses.