Key points:
- Leukoplakia is an anatomical term for thick white or grey patches that
can be associated with a variety of histological diagnoses ranging
from hyperplasia to malignant transformation.
- According to our findings, malignancy is associated with a single
abnormal vascular pattern on the surface of the vocal cords, whereas
leukoplakia might be associated with either normal or many abnormal
vascular patterns.
- Capillaries in the surface lamina propria, smaller arteries and veins
characterize the vascular microanatomy of human vocal folds.
- Age may be related to the development of this disease.
- Two inherent limitations of CE are the inability to detect very early
dysplasia and the inability of differentiation of carcinoma in situ
from invasive carcinoma.