Oral medicine and oral cancer: proliferative verrucous leukoplakia: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral medicine and oral cancer: proliferative verrucous leukoplakia

Sample item

A 68-year-old non-smoking woman has multifocal white warty plaques on the gingiva and buccal mucosa that have slowly spread over years and returned after each excision. Biopsies progress from hyperkeratosis to verrucous hyperplasia. What is the diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia

Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia is a persistent, multifocal, progressive white lesion, commoner in older women and often without tobacco use. It recurs after treatment and has a very high rate of malignant transformation to verrucous or squamous carcinoma. Close long-term follow-up is needed.

Option by option

  • A. White sponge naevus

    White sponge naevus is a benign genetic disorder present from childhood and does not progress.

  • B. Homogeneous leukoplakia

    Homogeneous leukoplakia is a single, flat, uniform white patch with a low transformation rate.

  • C. Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (correct)

    Correct. Multifocal, spreading, recurrent verrucous plaques with a high malignant risk define this entity.

  • D. Frictional keratosis

    Frictional keratosis regresses once the trauma is removed.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is C, Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia. Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia is a persistent, multifocal, progressive white lesion, commoner in older women and often without tobacco use.

Why is "White sponge naevus" not the answer?

White sponge naevus is a benign genetic disorder present from childhood and does not progress.

Why is "Homogeneous leukoplakia" not the answer?

Homogeneous leukoplakia is a single, flat, uniform white patch with a low transformation rate.

Why is "Frictional keratosis" not the answer?

Frictional keratosis regresses once the trauma is removed.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral medicine and oral cancer: proliferative verrucous leukoplakia in Dentistry. It recurs after treatment and has a very high rate of malignant transformation to verrucous or squamous carcinoma. Close long-term follow-up is needed.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral medicine and oral cancer: proliferative verrucous leukoplakia?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.