Oral Submucous Fibrosis: An Update

Oral Submucous Fibrosis by definition is an “Insidious, chronic disease affecting any part of the oral cavity and sometimes pharynx; although occasionally preceded by and/ or associated with vesicle formation, it is always associated with a juxta-epithelial inflammatory reaction followed by fibroelastic change of the lamina propria, with epithelial atrophy leading to stiffness of oral mucosa and causing trismus and inability to eat”.A multifactorial pathogenesis has been implicated in the development of oral submucous fibrosis. These include areca nut chewing, nutritional deficiency, autoimmunity and genetic susceptibility; however leaching out compounds from areca nut remain the main etiology for Oral Submucous Fibrosis.