VITAL STAINING WITH IODINE SOLUTION IN DELINEATING THE BORDER OF ORALDYSPLASTIC LESIONS

Objective. The borders of dysplastic lesions of the oral mucosa are of ten vaguely delineated. The purpose of this study was to determine if vital staining with an iodine solution can precisely delineate the bou ndary of superficial spread of dysplastic or malignant epithelium. Stu dy design. Thirty-seven biopsies were obtained from 18 patients with p ossible malignant lesions of the oral mucosa. Deviations between the c linical boundary obtained with vital staining and the histopathologic boundary determined in hemotoxylin-eosin-and lectin-stained sections w ere measured with light microscopy. Result. The clinical boundaries de fined with the vital staining agreed well with the pathologic border l ines and were in error by less than 3 mm. Conclusion. This result sugg ests that vital staining with an iodine solution has great potential i n determining the extent and precise borders of the dysplastic epithel ium. A 5-mm border of normal tissue peripheral to the iodine-positive area would be adequate for the complete removal of the dysplastic epit helium.