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Smoker’s Keratosis

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Pathology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

  • 156 Accesses

Synonyms

Smokeless tobacco keratosis; Snuff dipper’s lesion; Spit tobacco keratosis; Tobacco pouch keratosis

Definition

A lesion due to the use of smokeless tobacco, used as snuff/spit or chewing tobacco. The development of the lesion is influenced by the type of smokeless tobacco, the amount of tobacco used, the brand of tobacco, and the duration of the contact between tobacco and oral mucosa.

Clinically, it is characterized by a white or gray-white, translucent lesion at the site where the smokeless tobacco is held in the oral cavity. The alterations can be graded by a 3- (Greer and Poulson) or 4- (Axèll, Mörnstad, Sundström) grade system, depending on the amount of color change, wrinkling, and thickening of the mucosa.

Clinical Features

  • Incidence: Estimated prevalence of 6% with in some areas of southeastern United States of 21%.

    A white lesion is present in 15% of chewing tobacco users and 60% of snuff/spit tobacco users. In India, smokeless tobacco may be combined with other...

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References and Further Reading

  • Axèll, T., Mörnstad, H., & Sundström, B. (1976). The relationship of the clinical picture to the histopathology of snuff dipper’s lesions in a Swedish population. Journal of Oral Pathology, 5, 229–236.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greer, R. O., & Poulson, T. C. (1983). Oral tissue alterations associated with the use of smokeless tobacco by teenagers. Oral Surgery, 56, 275–284.

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  • Kaugars, G. E., Riley, W. T., Brandt, R. B., et al. (1992). The prevalence of oral lesions in smokeless tobacco users and an evaluation of risk factors. Cancer, 70, 2579–2585.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taybos, G. (2003). Oral changes associated with tobacco use. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 326, 179–182.

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  • Warnakulasuriya, K. A., & Ralhan, R. (2007). Clinical, pathological, cellular and molecular lesions caused by oral smokeless tobacco – a review. Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, 36, 63–77.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jacqueline E. van der Wal

Authors
  1. Jacqueline E. van der Wal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacqueline E. van der Wal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands

    J.H.J.M. van Krieken

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van der Wal, J.E. (2018). Smoker’s Keratosis. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_778-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_778-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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