CLINICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF COLLAGEN FIBER ORIENTATION USING PICROSIRUS RED STAIN WITH POLARIZING MICROSCOPE IN PATIENTS HAVING ORAL SUBMUCOUS FIBROSIS

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic debilitating disease of oral mucosa and is characterized by generalized fibrosis of the oral soft tissues which tends to present itself clinically as palpable vertical fibrous bands. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate histopathologically the collagen fibre bundle orientation in relation to epithelium and to find the reason for unidirectional orientation of clinically palpable fibrous bands. Method: The study included 30 cases of Oral submucous fibrosis and 10 cases of normal tissue. Results: Histologically most of the collagen fibres were parallel to the epithelium, and there was a statistically significant difference in orientation between oral submucous fibrosis and control groups. Conclusion: The reason for unidirectional alignment of clinical fibrous bands could be due to chronic stimulation of oral mucosa by the irritants leading to change in the orientation of collagen fibre bundles, which might result in scar formation similar to that of wound healing, where the collagen fibres are oriented parallel to the epidermis. As the collagen fibers tend to orient themselves along the direction of stress, the collagen fibers in oral submucous fibrosis also might orient in a vertical direction in buccal mucosa