Oral submucous fibrosis in a 4-year-old girl

Oral submucous fibrosis a disease with malignant potential - Report of two Cases

“…Diagnosis of OSF is usually based on the clinical signs and symptoms, which include; oral ulceration, burning sensation (particularly with spicy foods), paleness of the oral mucosa, and occasional Leukoplakia. The most characteristic feature is the marked vertical fibrous ridge formation within the cheeks, and board like stiffness of the buccal mucosa (11). The fibrosis in the soft tissue leads to trismus, difficulty in eating, and even dysphagia as reported in our cases also.…”

“…These include anaemia, chronic iron and vitamin B deficiency and genetic pre-disposition (10). Chewing areca nut in its various forms is widely prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, giving rise to increased prevalence of oral sub mucous fibrosis, from an estimated 250,000 cases in 1980 to an estimated 5 million people in 2002 (11). This is a chronic disorder characterized by fibrosis of the lining mucosa of the upper digestive tract involving the oral cavity, oro-and hypo pharynx and the upper third of the oesophagus.…”

Prevalence, age of onset and demographic relationships of different areca nut habits amongst children in Tower Hamlets, London

“…Of 136 patients attending a dental hospital with OSF, 23 per cent were aged between 14 and 19. 17 In separate studies children as young as 4 18 and 5 6 years old have been diagnosed with OSF. The frequency of using areca nut alone in this study is below that associated with the highest relative risk of developing OSF (between 6-10 chewing episodes per day).…”

Oral submucous fibrosis: Comparing clinical grading with duration and frequency of habit among areca nut and its products chewers

“…[8] As a result of transmigration of populations, an increasing number of cases are being seen in other countries. [9] A study conducted in 2002 indicates that more than 5 million people in India have OSMF (0.5 % of Indian population), [10] the figure that must have increased sharply by now. It has been suggested that consumption of chillies, nutritional deficiency, chewing of areca nut, genetic susceptibility, altered salivary constituents, autoimmunity, and collagen disorders may be involved in the pathogenesis of this condition.…”