Table 2. Characteristics of potentially malignant disorders .
| Disorders | Clinical features | Locations | Risk of malignancy |
| Leukoplakia | White plaque | Cheeks, lips, gingivae | 15.6–39.2% |
| Early (thin) | NA* | ||
| Homogenous | 1–7% | ||
| Verruciform | 4–15% | ||
| Speckled | 18–47% | ||
| Erythroplakia | A predominantly red lesion | Mouth floor, tongue, retromolar pad, soft palate | 51% |
| Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL) | Multifocal white patch or plaque + rough surface projections | Gingivae | 63.3–100% |
| Viadent leukoplakia | White patch or plaque | Gingivae, buccal and labial vestibule | NA |
| Candida leukoplakia | Firm, white leathery plaques | Cheeks, lips, palate | 4–5 times more common than leukoplakia |
| Smokeless tobacco keratosis | White plaque | Buccal or labial vestibule | NA |
| Palatal keratosis associated with reverse smoking | White patches and plaques | Palate, tongue | 83.3% dysplasia 12.5% SCC |
| Verrucous hyperplasia | Extensive thick white plaque | Buccal mucosa | 68% dysplasia |
| Oral verrucous carcinoma | Extensive thick white plaque | Buccal mucosa | 20% |
| Dyskeratosis congenita | Oral leukoplakia | Buccal mucosa, tongue, oropharynx | NA |
| Actinic cheilosis | Diffuse, poorly defined atrophic, erosive, ulcerative or keratotic plaques | Lower lip | 6–10% |
| Keratoacanthoma | Firm,sessile non tender nodule + a central plug of keratin | Lips, tongue, sublingual region | 24% |
| Oral submucous fibrosis | Mucosal rigidity | Buccal mucosa, retromolar area, tongue, soft palate | 7–26% |
| Lichen planus | Reticular, erosive, atrophic, bullous, ulcerative, popular, plaque like | Posterior buccal mucosa, tongue, gingivae, palate, vermilion border | 0.4–3.7% |
| Discoid lupus erythematosus | White plaques with elevated borders, radiating white striae and telangiectasia | Cheeks, lips, palate | NA |
| Epidermolysis bullosa | Bullae and vesicle formation following mild trauma | Cheeks, tongue, palate | 25% |
| Verruciform xanthoma | A well demarcated mass with a yellow-white or red color and a papillary or verruciform surface | Gingivae, tongue, buccal mucosa, vestibular mucosa, floor of the mouth | NA |
| Graft-versus host disease | Atrophy, erythema, erosions, ulcers, lichenoid lesions | Cheeks, tongue, lips, buccal & labial vestibule | NA |
*NA: not assigned