The results of CO2 laser surgery in patients with oral leukoplakia: a 25 year follow up.

Oral leukoplakia is an important premalignant lesion of the oral mucosa. We treat this lesion prophylactically with CO2 laser evaporation. In the period from 1976 to 2001, a group of 200 patients with 282 oral leukoplakias were treated by CO2 laser evaporation. In a follow up period of 1-219 months (mean 52), 251 treated leukoplakias (89.0%) did not show a recurrence. Twenty eight (9.9%) local recurrences were observed in 5 to 168 months after treatment. Three (1.1%) squamous cell carcinoma, occurred in the treated area respectively 7, 17 and 19 month after CO2 laser evaporation. This large study with a long follow up shows that laser treatment is a good prophylactic treatment for oral leukoplakia.