M Ameena's scientific contributions

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) is a rare form of leukoplakia, which was first described by Hansen et al. in the year 1985. PVL is a disease with aggressive behavior due to its high rate of recurrence and a high rate of malignant transformation, usually more than 70%. This is a long-term progressive condition, which is observed more frequently in females over the age of 60 years. In the course of time, PVL tends to become multifocal with progressive deterioration of the lesions, making it more and more difficult to control. Unlike other cases of leukoplakia, tobacco use does not seem to have a significant influence on the appearance and progression of PVL. As this condition is seen in non-smokers, the etiology of PVL remains unclear making the management and diagnosis difficult. The aim of this article is to present a case which is diagnosed based on the diagnostic criteria proposed by Cerero-Lapiadra et al. in the oral cavity with its malignant transformation rate varies from 0.13% to 17.5%. 6 A rare form of oral leukoplakia known as proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) was first reported barely a few decades ago by Hansen et al. It has a more aggressive biological behavior than other forms of leukoplakia as it has a tendency toward multifocality; a high probability of recurrence; and a high rate of malignant transformation, between 40 and 100% in a period of about 4.4-11.6 years. 7,8 In 1985 Hansen described PVL as a long-term progressive condition which develops initially as a white plaque of hyperkeratosis that eventually becomes a multifocal disease with confluent, exophytic, and proliferative features. As per literature, PVL seems to have an increased predilection for non-smoking elderly female patients over the age of 60 years without any racial predilection unlike other cases of leukoplakia, which is prevalent in smoking males. 9,10 Tobacco does not seem to have a significant influence on the disease as PVL occurs both in smokers and non-smokers especially non-smokers. 11 These lesions usually present as slow-growing yet persistent, as well as irreversible and resistant to all forms of treatment with a high recurrence rate. During development, it is common to find erythematous and or verrucous areas that occasionally progress to verrucous carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).