Oral submucous fibrosis: A clinicopathological study of 674 cases in China

BACKGROUND: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) has been reported frequently in India and other countries in South Asia. There are few reports on the clinicopathological features of OSF in China, where OSF is an epidemic. This study analyses the clinicopathological features of OSF in Hunan Province, China. METHODS: A total of 674 cases of OSF were collected from July 2013 to August 2018 in Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, and gender, age, site, pathological stage, habits, symptoms and associated lesions were recorded. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 32.7:1. The average age was 35.23 ± 10.08. The buccal mucosa was the most common site. A total of 99.85% of OSF cases chewed areca nut. Pale mucosa, restricted mouth opening, burning and fibrous bands were common clinical manifestations. Oral leukoplakia (OLK) was the most common associated lesion. The extended duration of chewing areca nut increased the risk of associated lesions (P < 0.05). The risk of OSF associated with OLK decreased with increasing OSF stage (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of OSF in males was higher than that in females, the buccal mucosa was most affected, and chewing areca nut is the most common habit of OSF patients.