Introduction: Intraepithelial dysplasia, or "invisible" precancerous lesions, provides a challenge for visualization to the surgical team. The prognostic relevance of dysplasia and carcinoma in situ at surgical margins is well documented.
Materials and methods: We evaluated the use of Lugol's iodine in visualizing the surgical margins of dysplastic tissue by an observational study of 100 patients having oral precancerous lesions between June 2013 and March 2016.
Conclusion: Lugol's iodine is a simple, inexpensive, and apparently effective means of diagnosing and visualizing the surgical margins of the dysplastic tissue in oral precancerous lesions.
Keywords: Head and neck cancer; Lugol's iodine; oral dysplasia; oral precancerous lesions.