OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of CO2 laser therapy in plaque-like oral lichen planus and homogeneous oral leukoplakia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied two groups of patients; one comprised 29 cases of plaque-like oral lichen planus (group 1) and the other one included 34 cases of homogeneous oral leukoplasia (group 2). After histological study, all the lesions were treated by CO2 laser evaporation at 10 W. We analyzed the results following one month, three months and one year after the treatment. RESULTS: In group 1, 19 lesions (65.5%) were revoluted enterally in one month. Patients reported a slight to moderate pain in 16 cases (55.2%), while 4 (13.8%) showed recurrences after three months and 12 (41.4%) at the end of the following time (one year). In group 2 we found a complete healing after one month in 28 cases (82.4%), with a slight to moderate pain in 22 cases (64.7%). Three months after the treatment we found 7 recurrences (20.6%) and 8 (25.8%) one year after. CONCLUSIONS: We found lower rate of recurrences in homogeneous oral leukoplakias than in plaque-like oral lichen planus after treatment with carbon dioxide laser therapy.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of CO2 laser therapy in plaque-like oral lichen planus and homogeneous oral leukoplakia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied two groups of patients; one comprised 29 cases of plaque-like oral lichen planus (group 1) and the other one included 34 cases of homogeneous oral leukoplasia (group 2). After histological study, all the lesions were treated by CO2 laser evaporation at 10 W. We analyzed the results following one month, three months and one year after the treatment. RESULTS: In group 1, 19 lesions (65.5%) were revoluted enterally in one month. Patients reported a slight to moderate pain in 16 cases (55.2%), while 4 (13.8%) showed recurrences after three months and 12 (41.4%) at the end of the following time (one year). In group 2 we found a complete healing after one month in 28 cases (82.4%), with a slight to moderate pain in 22 cases (64.7%). Three months after the treatment we found 7 recurrences (20.6%) and 8 (25.8%) one year after. CONCLUSIONS: We found lower rate of recurrences in homogeneous oral leukoplakias than in plaque-like oral lichen planus after treatment with carbon dioxide laser therapy.