Histomorphometric study of the mucosa of the oral cavity.

Introduction: The progressive increase in the incidence of cancer during the last decades has turned it into a health problem. In the oral cavity they manifest as whitish lesions; leukoplakia is one of the most frequent potentially malignant disorders. The histopathological changes of leukoplakia are very diverse. The study of these disorders could be supported with the use of morphometry. Objective: To describe morphometric variables in the mucosa of the oral cavity in patients with leukokeratosis.Conclusions: Epithelial thickness, cytoplasmic area, volume and nuclear profile presented higher average values in the tongue region, the thickness of the corneal layer showed higher figures in the lip; the circularity of the nucleus and the inflammatory infiltrate behaved similarly in the different regions and the nuclear area was higher in the mucosa of the cheek.