Erythroplakia (also known as "Erythroplasia") is a flat red patch or lesion in the mouth that cannot be attributed to any other pathology.
A similar term is "erythroplasia", which has a papular appearance.
There are many other conditions that are similar in appearance and must be ruled out before a diagnosis of erythroplakia is made. Sometimes, a diagnosis is delayed for up to two weeks in order to see if the lesion spontaneously regresses on its...
More
Erythroplakia (also known as "Erythroplasia") is a flat red patch or lesion in the mouth that cannot be attributed to any other pathology.
A similar term is "erythroplasia", which has a papular appearance.
There are many other conditions that are similar in appearance and must be ruled out before a diagnosis of erythroplakia is made. Sometimes, a diagnosis is delayed for up to two weeks in order to see if the lesion spontaneously regresses on its own or if another cause can be found. Erythroplakia frequently is associated with dysplasia, and is thus a precancerous lesion.
Erythroplakia has an unknown cause but researchers presume it to be similar to the cause of squamous cell carcinoma. Carcinoma is found in almost 40% of erythroplakia. It is mostly found in elderly men around the ages of 65 - 74. It is commonly associated with smoking.
Alcohol and tobacco use have been described as risk factors.
The most common areas in the mouth where erythroplakia is found are the floor of the...
Less