Oral white lesions: presentation and comparison of oral submucous fibrosis with other lesions.

[oral submucous fibrosis]

To compare oral submucous fibrosis with other white oral lesions for presentation and associated factors .Cross-sectional study .The Departments of Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery , Dr . Ishrat-ul-Ibad Institute of Oral Health Sciences (DIKIOHS ), Karachi , from May 2008 to May 2009 .Patients presenting with oral white lesions were selected by consecutive non-purposive sampling and clinico-demographic data was collected . For patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF ), additional information like duration of habits , maximal incisal opening (MIO ), presence of any other associated lesion were noted . OSF was compared with other white lesions for any association between characteristic of subjects . Chi -square and independent t-tests for determining the statistical significance at p < 0 .05 .OSF was present in 59 .6 % (n = 106 ) of the 178 patients ; other white lesions were 40 .4 % (n = 72 ). The mean age of patients with OSF was 34 ± 12 .7 years and 45 .81 ± 16 .2 years in patients with other white lesions , (p < 0 .0001 ).Items containing areca nut were consumed more by patients with OSF , with a significant (p < 0 .0001 ) compared to patients with other white lesions .OSF was the predominant white lesion in patients examined at DIKIOHS . Areca nut was found to be chewed more by patients with OSF and still longer by patients with SCC .