Morphometry of Oral Leukoplakia and Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Author Information
Author(s): Smitha T, Sharada P, Girish HC
Primary Institution: V. S. Dental College and Hospital
Hypothesis
To study and compare the changes in nuclear and cellular size, shape and nuclear–cytoplasmic ratio of the cells in the basal layer of oral leukoplakia and well-differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma with normal buccal mucosa.
Conclusion
The morphometric parameter, size, was useful to differentiate between normal, potentially malignant leukoplakia and SCC.
Supporting Evidence
- The nuclear area and perimeter increased steadily from normal buccal mucosa to leukoplakia and reached the highest value in well-differentiated SCC.
- The mean N:C ratio was higher in leukoplakia and SCC compared to normal buccal mucosa.
- Statistically significant differences were found in cellular and nuclear areas between the diagnostic groups.
Takeaway
The study looked at how the size and shape of cells in the mouth change when someone has leukoplakia or cancer, showing that these changes can help tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy cells.
Methodology
This was a retrospective study conducted on tissue sections from 70 cases, analyzing various morphometric parameters using computer-aided image analysis.
Potential Biases
Subjectivity in histopathological assessment may introduce variability in results.
Limitations
The study only included well-differentiated cases and did not account for all potential variables affecting cell morphology.
Participant Demographics
The study included cases irrespective of age and sex, with a control group of healthy adults.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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