Homoeopathic treatment of oral leucoplakia: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Oral leucoplakia (OL), a premalignant lesion which is more frequently encountered in elderly people, is defined as a white lesion of the oral mucosa. Smoking is one of the most common risk factors. Conventionally, surgical excision is the most recommended treatment option for OL. Case Summary: A 55-year-old male presented with the complaint of a whitish lesion inside the left angle of the mouth (buccal mucosa) for the past 1½ years. The case was clinically diagnosed as OL. He was advised for surgical excision, but he preferred to go for homoeopathic treatment. Based on characteristic symptoms, repertorial analysis and individualisation, homoeopathic medicine Kali iodatum (200C and 1M) followed by Syphilinum 200C was prescribed. Over 14 months of treatment, the patient initially improved with Kali iodatum followed by total remission of the lesion by Syphilinum. Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy (MONARCH) was used to evaluate the attribution of recovery to homoeopathic treatment. The MONARCH score was (+8 on a ‘−6 to +13’ scale), which is indicative of the possibility of patient’s improvement resulting from the homoeopathic treatment. This clinical case report demonstrates the beneficial effects of individualised homoeopathic treatment for the management of premalignant lesions like OL.