Histopathological Changes in Oral Submucous Fibrosis: Updated Review

Abstract

Oral submucous fibrosis is a collagen metabolic condition characterised by excessive collagen formation and reduced collagen breakdown. According to the studies, in addition to increased collagen build-up, there was also an increase in the level of muscle injury. The muscle change might be a symptom of the disease, with atrophy occurring as a result of the muscles’ reduced functional activity caused by fibrosis, or it could be a necessary aspect of the disease’s progression. As a result, histological alterations in OSMF patients will aid in future disease treatment interventions. The objective of the review is to consolidate the various histopathological changes seen in oral submucous fibrosis reported in literature. Various electronic databases like Google Scholar, EMBASE, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science were searched for articles published until March 2022. Keywords, oral submucous fibrosis, histology, pathology, dysplasia, atrophy were used to search the data base.