TO THE QUESTION OF PATHOGENESIS AND TREATMENT OF ORAL MUCOSA LEUKOPLAKIA

It is known that over the past decade, the incidence of oral mucosa diseases has been growing not only in Russia, but also throughout the world. Oncological pathology, including optional precancers, is a separate group in the structure of oral mucosa diseases. One of the optional precancers is leukoplakia. This is one of the types of hyperkeratosis characterized by a chronic course. The high prevalence of leukoplakia, frequent recurrence, the possibility of its transition to cancer requires a more in-depth study of the mechanisms of development, as well as malignancy of this disease and, on their basis, the development of more effective diagnostic and treatment methods. The purpose of the work is – to provide up-to-date information on the pathogenesis and treatment of leukoplakia of the oral mucosa. Methodology. International scientific databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Cochrane Collaboration, Elsevier, as well as electronic catalogs http://elibrary.ru and http://cyberleninka.ru were used. Results. Leukoplakia is an occupational disease that often occurs among workers in chemical production and hot shops. In addition, its development is influenced by internal endogenous factors that lead to a weakening of the protective mechanisms of the mucous membrane. Treatment of leukoplakia of the oral mucosa is a complex task that requires an integrated approach. In the literature, along with surgical treatment methods, including cryotherapy, there are results of treating this disease using various vitamins, photodynamic therapy using various photosensitizers, lasers. However, none of the existing methods guarantees a long-term result that excludes relapses and malignancy of the process. Conclusions. The mechanisms of occurrence and progression of leukoplakia are not fully understood. There are various methods of treatment, including conservative, surgical and photodynamic therapy, but none of them guarantees a complete cure. This dictates the need for further research.