Smokeless tobacco keratosis (STK) is a condition which develops on the oral mucosa (the lining of the mouth) in response to smokeless tobacco use. Generally it appears as a white patch, located at the point where the tobacco is held in the mouth. The condition usually disappears once the tobacco habit is stopped. It is associated with slightly increased risk of mouth cancer. There are many types of smokeless tobacco. Chewing tobacco is shredded, air-cured tobacco with flavoring. Dipping tobacco ("moist snuff") is air or fire-cured, finely cut tobacco. Dry snuff is ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. In the Indian subcontinent, the Middle-East and South-East Asia, tobacco may be combined in a quid or paan with other ingredients such as betel leaf, Areca nut and slaked lime. Use of Areca nut is associated with oral submucous fibrosis. An appearance termed Betel chewers mucosa describes morsicatio buccarum with red-staining of mucosa due to betel quid ingredients. In Scandinavian countries, snus, a variant of dry snuff, is sometimes used. In the United States of America, the most common form of smokeless tobacco is dipping tobacco, although chewing tobacco is sometimes used by outdoor workers and dry snuff is common among females in the Southern states. The overall prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in the USA is about 4.5%, but this is higher in Mid-Western and Southern states.
Some recommend biopsy if the lesions persists more than 6 weeks after giving up smokeless tobacco use, or if the lesion undergoes a change in appearance (e.g. ulceration, thickening, color changes, especially to speckled white and red or entirely red). Surgical excision may be carried out if the lesion does not resolve. Prognosis
Usually this lesion is reversible if the tobacco habit is stopped completely, even after many years of use. In one report, 98% of lesions disappeared within 2 weeks of stopping tobacco use. The risk of the lesion developing into oral cancer (generally squamous cell carcinoma and its variant verrucous carcinoma) is relatively low. Indeed, veruccous carcinoma is sometimes term "snuff dippers cancer". In most reported cases, malignant transformation has occurring in individuals with a very long history of chewing tobacco or who use dry snuff.Smokeless tobacco use is also accompanied by increased risk of other oral conditions such as dental caries (tooth decay), periodontitis (gum disease), attrition (tooth wear) and staining. Epidemiology
STK is extremely common among smokeless tobacco users. Given the association with smokeless tobacco use, this condition tends to occur in adults. A national USA survey estimated an overall prevalence of 1.5% of all types of smokeless tobacco lesions, with males affected more commonly than females. See also
Stomatitis nicotina
Smokers melanosis

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