Prevalence of oral potentially malignant and malignant lesions at a tertiary level hospital in Hyderabad, India

Background: To study the prevalence of potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions in Hyderabad, India. Materials and Methods: An institutional retrospective study of biopsies sent to the department of general pathology in Osmania General Hospital (OGH), Hyderabad. The data was collected year-wise for a period of 5 years from 2007 to 2011 with reference to age, sex, site involved, and final diagnosis based on the histopathological findings. Results: A total of 1005 oral biopsies were reviewed. Of these, cases were categorized into benign, potentially malignant, and malignant. Buccal mucosa was the most frequently involved site followed by tongue. Lichen planus constituted the highest number of patients in potentially malignant group, while in malignant group, squamous cell carcinoma was most prevalent. Conclusion: This study showed that potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions were widespread in the patients of this region.