Characterisation and quantification of mucosal vasculature in oral submucous fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE

Quantitative assessment of the mucosal vascularity in oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSF) by image analysis using OPTIMAS ver 6.0 software. The vascularity was assessed by estimating (a) the mean vascular density, (b) the mean vascular area percentage, and (c) the mean vascular luminal diameter.

METHODS

Twenty (20) OSF and ten (10) age and sex matched healthy volunteers comprised the study group. The 5 microm thick H and E stained mucosal sections were examined and quantified in an image analyzer for number, size, density of vessels, and percentage of vascular area using an area morphometry tool. ANOVA is used to test equality of several means without affecting Type 1 error.

RESULTS

The mean vascular density is found to be more or less same in the test and control samples (F = 0.82, P>0.05). The mean vascular percentage area shows an increasing trend as the disease progresses (F = 8.63, p<0.01). The mean vascular luminal diameter also shows an increasing trend as the disease progresses (F = 34.1, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The usual tissue reaction resultant to ischaemia / hypoxia does not seem to operate in this disease, which is preconditioned by significant stromal changes as part of the disease process. The mean vascular dilatation noted is assumed to be an adaptive response to compensate tissue ischaemia/hypoxia.