PROLIFERATIVE VERRUCOUS LEUKOPLAKIA - 4 CASES WITH FLOW CYTOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia is a slow-growing but highly aggre ssive precancerous form of leukoplakia of unknown cause. Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia is thought to possess a continuous spectrum of clinical and histopathologic expression, ranging from simple hyperkera tosis to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Early diagnosis is difficul t because of an initial innocuous character, but multiple and rapid mu ltifocal warty recurrences are common. This article reports four addit ional archival cases of proliferative verrucous leukoplakia to determi ne if flow cytometric analysis can be useful in the early diagnosis of proliferative verrucous leukoplakia. Flow cytometric analysis was per formed on available formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens (N = 27 ). Flow cytometric analysis results showed DNA aneuploid cell lines in each proliferative verrucous leukoplakia case studied (DNA index rang e, 1.1 to 2.6). In all four patients the abnormal cell line DNA index appeared to be maintained throughout the sampling period. The results suggest flow cytometric analysis could be a possible aid in early reco gnition of proliferative verrucous leukoplakia and might enable aggres sive therapy at an earlier stage.