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Review
. 2019 Jun 16;20(12):2940.
doi: 10.3390/ijms20122940.

Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Review on Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapy

Yin-Hwa Shih  1 , Tong-Hong Wang  2   3   4   5 , Tzong-Ming Shieh  6 , Yu-Hsin Tseng  7
Affiliations
Review

Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Review on Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapy

Yin-Hwa Shih et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is characterized by abnormal collagen deposition. It is a precancerous disorder and transforms into a malignant tumor in 1.5-15% of all cases. Symptoms include submucous fibrosis, ulceration, xerostomia, a burning sensation, and restricted mouth opening. All of these greatly interfere with patient quality of life. The present review introduces OSF from a molecular perspective and summarizes what is known about its underlying mechanisms, diagnostic biomarkers, and therapeutic interventions. In addition to the aggressive treatment of OSF, its prevention is also important. Future research should, therefore, focus on improving the oral health literacy of the patients susceptible to OSF.

Keywords: collagen deposition; diagnostic biomarkers; oral submucous fibrosis (OSF); precancerous disorder; therapeutic interventions; underlying mechanisms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The molecular pathologic mechanism of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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