Q: My wife is has a problem with her tongue and throat. Recently, I took her to an ENT specialist for a check up and it found that she is suffering from Leukoplakia of the tongue. I would request you to give me more details about the disease, whether it is curable or not?

A:Leukoplakia of the tongue is a whitish lesion of the lining of the tongue and of the inside of the cheek. It is often caused by chronic irritation due to smoking, pan masala, pan, etc, but not always. It is not dangerous, but is a premalignant lesion, and if the causes of irritation continue, or if there is thickening, redness and pain, it may become malignant. One can try anti-oxidants like Lycored/Antoxid, etc. along with local steroid ointments to reduce it. If it does not reduce, or increases, the ideal treatment is to take a biopsy and destroy the rest of the whitish lining by a laser.