It has been suggested that leukoplakia is an unhelpful term since there is so much inconsistency surrounding its use, and some clinicians now avoid using it at all. Biopsy
Tissue biopsy is usually indicated to rule out other causes of white patches and also to enable a detailed histologic examination to grade the presence of any epithelial dysplasia. This is an indicator of malignant potential and usually determines the management and recall interval. The sites of a leukoplakia lesion that are preferentially biopsied are the areas that show induration (hardening) and erythroplasia (redness), and erosive or ulcerated areas. These areas are more likely to show any dysplasia than homogeneous white areas.Brush biopsy/exfoliative cytology is an alternative to incisional biopsy, where a stiff brush is scraped against the lining of the mouth to remove a sample of cells. This is then made into a smear which can be examined microscopically. Sometimes the biopsy site can be selected with adjunct methods which aim to highlight areas of dysplasia. Toluidine blue staining, where the dye is preferentially retained by dysplastic tissue, is sometimes used, but there is high false positive rate. Other methods involve the use of luminescence, relying on either the property of normal autoflorescent molecules in mucosa such as collagen and keratin which is lost from areas of dysplasia or carcinoma under blue light or by initially staining of the mucosa with toluidine blue or dilute acetic acid and examination under white light. Histologic appearance
Leukoplakia has a wide range of possible histologic appearances.
Clotrimazole/betamethasone dipropionate, sold under the brand name Lotrisone among others, is a topical medication used for the treatment of fungal infections of the feet, groin, and body in people 17 years of age and older. It is a combination of clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate. It is applied to the skin.Common side effects include paresthesia, rash, edema, and secondary infections.In 2019, it was the 366th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 600 thousand prescriptions. Medical uses
Clotrimazole/betamethasone dipropionate is indicated for the topical treatment of symptomatic inflammatory tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis due to Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum in people 17 years of age and older. Society and culture
Legal status
Clotrimazole/betamethasone dipropionate cream was approved for medical use in the United States in July 1984, and the lotion was approved for use in the United States in December 2000. References
External links
"Betamethasone dipropionate mixture with Clotrimazole". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Betamethasone Topical: MedlinePlus Drug Information". MedlinePlus. "Clotrimazole Topical: MedlinePlus Drug Information". MedlinePlus.