Oral pathology case from Dr. Stacey Simmons: A 77-year-old male presents for his annual checkup and exam. CC: A white spot on the left side of his tongue that had been present for just less than a year. Based on the clinical assessment, can you diagnose this lesion?
This article first appeared in the newsletter, DE's Breakthrough Clinical with Stacey Simmons, DDS. Subscribe here.
A 77-year-old male presents for his annual checkup and exam. He only visits our office once a year and alternates with his dentist in California the other six months, where he is a snowbird during the winter. The patient's health history was noncontributory except for blood pressure medication.
The patient's chief complaint was a white spot on the left side of his tongue that had been present for just less than a year. Clinical assessment revealed a 6 x 8 mm white leukoplakic lesion on the left lateral border of the tongue. It was not painful to palpation or touch. The lesion was slightly corrugated with irregular borders.
What is your recommendation and differential diagnosis?
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This article first appeared in the newsletter, DE's Breakthrough Clinical with Stacey Simmons, DDS. Subscribe here.
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