Smoking
Smoking, a known primary risk factor for the onset of ischemic heart disease, may contribute to the masking of Fordyce spots in the mouth. A possible explanation is that heavy smokers produce more epithelial melanin and have thicker oral epithelia.
Leukoplakia manifests as a white, non-removable lesion and is a potentially cancerous condition. It is linked to the habit of smoking. However, it has also been demonstrated that additional factors raise the probability of its occurrence.
Fordyce spots are easily distinguished from other conditions because they present yellow patches in the mouth cavity. However, one paper describes an intriguing instance of a patient with Fordyce spots and leukoplakia underneath the white patch. They were difficult to see on clinical inspection but were apparent in the histological diagnosis.
Fordyce spots are ectopic sebaceous gland anomalies that occasionally appear in the oral cavity, primarily in the buccal mucosa. The case was exceptional as it demonstrated how, despite meticulous and extensive clinical examination, lesions like leukoplakia could conceal an underlying defect, highlighting the significance of histological identification in oral pathology.
