Dos
- Do stop smoking and treat any reflux, which reduces the risk of progression
Leukoplakia & Dysplasia
Consultant-led diagnosis and monitoring of vocal cord leukoplakia and dysplasia, precancerous changes most strongly linked to smoking.
What is the condition?
Leukoplakia describes white patches on the vocal cords, which can range from harmless irritation to areas of dysplasia — precancerous cellular changes. It is strongly linked to smoking and chronic reflux, and requires biopsy to determine exactly what grade of change is present, since appearance alone cannot confirm this.
Symptoms
What to look out for?
Leukoplakia itself may cause few symptoms beyond a voice change, which is why it is often found on routine examination.
- Hoarseness or a rough voice quality
- White patches visible on the vocal cords during examination
Treatment
What can be done?
Diagnosis requires microlaryngoscopy with biopsy to grade the tissue. Management depends on the grade found and ranges from smoking cessation and reflux treatment with surveillance, to surgical removal for higher-grade dysplasia.
- Microlaryngoscopy with biopsy
- Smoking cessation and reflux management
- Surgical removal for higher-grade changes
- Ongoing surveillance endoscopy
Prevention
What should I do?
Don'ts
- Don't assume white patches are harmless without a biopsy to confirm the grade