Leukoplakia presents as which of the following features?

• A. Red patch in oral mucosa
• B. White plaque that cannot be rubbed off
• C. White plaque which does not rub off and cannot be clinically identified
• D. A salivary gland disorder

Answer: (C)

Leukoplakia is defined by a white patch or plaque on the oral mucosa that cannot be rubbed off and cannot be attributed to any other condition based on clinical examination alone. This means it persists despite probing or cleaning and isn’t easily explained by other common causes of white patches, so further investigation is needed, often including a biopsy to check for dysplasia or malignancy. Red patches point to erythroplakia, not leukoplakia, and a salivary gland disorder is not related to this presentation.