Morphometric Analysis in Head and Neck Lesions: Oral Submucous Fibrosis

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant condition that typically affects the buccal mucosa, lips, retro molar areas and the soft palate. It presents as a whitish-yellow discoloration involving the buccal mucosa, the oropharynx and rarely in the larynx. It has a chronic, insidious biological course (Chen et al., 2006). Out of all cancer i.e. oral cancer itself it is the sixth most common cancer in world causing nearly five percent incidence rate of all cancers world wide and in Indian subcontinent it constitutes its largest group of malignancy with an incidence rate as high as 30-40%.Over the years, the incidence of OSMF has increased manifold in India especially among the younger generation (Gupta et al., 1998). Areca nut is the main causative factor for the development of OSMF. Commercially freeze-dried products such as paan masala, dohra, gutka and mava have a high concentration of areca nut and appear to cause OSMF (Tilakaratne et al., 2005). It is mainly seen among Asian communities, as a result of the increased popularity of the habit of chewing pan masala with areca nut, gutkha, tobacco chewing and smoking.