DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i02.035

Pages: 652-657

Sub mucous fibrosis is an insidious chronic disease affecting any part of the oral cavity and sometimes the pharynx. The letter sub epithelial and sub mucous fibrosis leads to stiffness of the oral mucosa and deeper tissues with progressive limitation in opening of the mouth and protrusion of the tongue, thus causing difficulty in eating, swallowing and phonation. The first mention of a condition resembling OSMF was made by sushrutha (an ancient Indian doctor as vidari). Since the time it was first described in the modern literature in 1952 by Schwartz. In 1952, Schwartz described five Indian women from kenyya with a condition of th e oral mucosa including palate and pillars of the fauces, which he called ‘atrophia idiopathica mucosa oris”. OSF first described in India by Joshi in 1953. It is a disease of unknown etiology endemic in India, but the predisposing factors in the cases so far studied are local irritants of oral mucosa like betel nut, chilies and tobacco. The alkaloid (Arecolin5, The flavanoid11 catechin) and tannin content of areca nuts (betel nuts) are responsible for fibrosis. Genetic and environmental factors influence its development (HLA10, DR3, and DR7). Immunological studies have shown raised IgA, E, and D values37 while IgG and M are usually normal.