Comparative Cytomorphometric Analysis of Oral Mucosa in Patients with Diabetes, Patients with Associated Oral Habits but with Apparently Normal Mucosa and Control Group

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the dysplastic changes that occur in the cell, nuclear morphology and diameter in Buccal smears of patients in the study groups.

Background: Oral exfoliative cytology is a simple, non-invasive, and painless method that is well accepted by patients and involves microscopic analysis of cells collected from the surface of oral mucosa. Many factors affect the cytomorphology of the cells collected from oral mucosa. Some of these factors may be systemic disease; like anaemia and diabetes mellitus; radiotherapy; alcohol consumption and smoking. Cigarette and tobacco generally contain many carcinogenic substance mostly DNA-toxic carcinogens, however alcohol itself is not carcinogenic, but when combined with cigarettes or tobacco they have a worse impact on health. In exfoliative cytology various parameters such as nuclear size, cell and nuclear pleomorphism, nuclear membrane discontinuity, degenerative changes of nucleus and nuclear cytoplasmic ratio can be analysed.

Materials and Method: Smears were taken from the buccal mucosa of 5 patients with Diabetes, 5 patients with adverse oral habits but with apparently normal mucosa and 5 patients with normal mucosa. All the smears were stained using H&E stain and Papanicoloau stain and evaluated using research microscope and image analysis software.

Reason: To explore the potential of Exfoliative cytology as a diagnostic adjunct in patients with Diabetes and in patients with Associated habits but apparently normal mucosa.