Oral leukoplakia and erythroplakia in young patients: a systematic review

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of oral leukoplakia and oral erythroplakia in young patients. Methods The systematic review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and performed in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. The studies included were cross-sectional, cohort, and diagnostic, which provided with clinical and microscopic data of patients younger than 40 years of age. The Critical Appraisal Checklist for Prevalence Studies from the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies were used to assess the risk of bias. Results Five studies met eligibility criteria and were included. The total number of patients from the studies was 1,246, of which 115 were young patients (9.2%) with oral leukoplakia as the only oral potentially malignant disorder reported. Oral epithelial dysplasia was observed in 40 cases (34.7%), of which 8 (6.9%) presented malignant transformation. Conclusion The frequency of oral leukoplakia is low in young patients. Observational studies are necessary for understanding oral leukoplakia and other OPMD conditions in younger age groups.