Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Evaluation of Thermal Tissue Alterations After Diode Laser Excision of Oral Leukoplakia (OL)

Objectives: Oral leukoplakia (OL) is the most prevalent oral potentially malignant disorder and requires accurate diagnosis, safe excision, and reliable margin evaluation to minimize recurrence and malignant transformation. Diode laser excision is increasingly adopted due to its precision and favorable clinical outcomes; however, laser-induced thermal effects at surgical margins raise concerns regarding tissue integrity and histopathological reliability. This study aimed to evaluate optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a real-time, high-resolution, non-invasive imaging modality for assessing peri-incisional thermal effects during diode laser excision of non-dysplastic OL. The primary objective was to validate OCT for ultrastructural and morphometric tissue analysis while ensuring preservation of diagnostic readability. Methods: A single-center observational case series was conducted at the University of Turin. Thirty patients with clinically and histopathologically confirmed oral leukoplakia without epithelial dysplasia were enrolled and allocated to two groups: 15 lesions excised using a 980 nm diode laser in continuous-wave contact mode (laser group) and 15 lesions removed by conventional scalpel biopsy (control group). Laser excisions were performed with standardized parameters and a circumferential safety margin of 5 mm. Immediately after excision, specimens underwent ex vivo spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) imaging to evaluate the epithelial and connective tissue microarchitecture at surgical margins and central lesion areas. OCT acquisition sites were precisely correlated with histological sections. Quantitative OCT measurements of epithelial thickness, lamina propria thickness, and laser-induced thermal alterations were compared with corresponding histological findings. Results: OCT consistently provided high-resolution visualization of oral mucosal microarchitecture in both groups, allowing clear identification of epithelial stratification, basement membrane continuity, and lamina propria organization. In the laser group, OCT detected superficial optical alterations at the surgical margins consistent with laser-induced thermal effects, while deeper tissue layers remained structurally readable. Histological analysis revealed mean epithelial and connective tissue thermal alterations of 288.9 μm and 430.3 μm, respectively. OCT-derived measurements showed high concordance with histology, with an overall agreement of 88.5% and no statistically significant differences between OCT and histological assessments. Importantly, laser-induced thermal effects did not impair definitive histopathological diagnosis in any specimen. Comparison with the control group confirmed preserved tissue architecture in scalpel-excised samples and highlighted OCT sensitivity in detecting laser-related structural remodeling. Conclusions: OCT proved to be a reliable, non-invasive imaging technique for real-time assessment of diode laser-induced thermal effects during OL excision. The technique accurately delineated tissue microstructure and surgical margins without compromising histopathological interpretation. Integration of OCT into the laser-assisted management of oral potentially malignant disorders may enhance surgical precision, optimize margin control, reduce diagnostic uncertainty, and support individualized follow-up strategies.