Clinico-Pathological Experience of Oral Submucous Fibrosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction
Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic disease associated with both significant morbidity (including pain and reduced oral opening) and an increased risk for malignancy. This study aimed to determine the clinical and histopathological profile of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) patients attending B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.

Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 34 patients with Oral Submucous Fibrosis from the out-patient department (OPD) of the Department of oral medicine and radiology, BPKIHS for a period of one year. After clinical staging of the disease, biopsy was taken and thus histological grading was done. Data analysis was done by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data.

Results
Among the 34 patients with OSF, 29 (85%) were males and 5 (15%) were females. The mean age was 31.5 ±12.4years. The majority of the respondents were consuming commercial preparation of areca nut; the median frequency of commercial preparation consumption was 4 packets per day and the median duration of exposure was 7 years (Range = 1-40). 47% of the patients were smokers. 52.9% of the patients were under Grade 2 clinically and functionally but 59% were Grade III histologically.

Conclusion
Our study describes the clinicopathological profiling along with dysplasia of OSF comparable to studies from other south east Asian countries.