Oral submucous fibrosis- a study of 26 cases at General Hospital Ratnapura

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is an insidious chronic disease of the oral mucosa. It is commonly seen in the Indian subcontinent. The condition may involve a wide age range, and there is a recent trend of increasing incidence in the younger age groups. The disease process may show a pan-oral involvement resulting in progressive circum-oral fibrosis. Patients may experience a restriction in their ability to open the mouth and to move the tongue. OSF is a known premalignant condition with a significantly high risk of malignant transformation over a period of time. The exact aetiology of the disease remains obscure in spite of much research. Thirty-six patients presenting with evidence of oral submucous fibrosis were managed over a period of 18-54 months. A clinical staging and a management policy were established to treat this group of patients. The degree of mouth opening was the criterion used to monitor the outcome of the interventions. Different forms of local and systemic steroids were used. This conservative management strategy yielded reasonably good results, although the numbers studied are insufficient to draw firm conclusions.