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Review
. 2023 Aug 31;15(8):e44502.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.44502. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Oral Submucous Fibrosis and Scleroderma: A Review of the Etiopathogenesis, Clinicopathological Correlation, and Management Aspects

Sreedevi J  1 , Lubnaz S  1 , Maneesha V Nair  1 , Karuna Thulasi R  1 , Priya Ramani  1
Affiliations
Review

Oral Submucous Fibrosis and Scleroderma: A Review of the Etiopathogenesis, Clinicopathological Correlation, and Management Aspects

Sreedevi J et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic, progressive, insidious premalignant disease with multifactorial etiology affecting any part of the oral cavity and sometimes the pharynx by triggering a rapid onset of trismus and dysphagia due to stiffness at the lips, cheek, pharynx, and upper oesophageal region. Submucous fibrosis resembles many auto-immune, dermatological, mucocutaneous, and fibrotic lesions that include scleroderma, amyloidosis, iron deficiency anemia, and systemic or generalized fibromatosis clinically and histologically. Several authors established an association between oral submucous fibrosis and scleroderma with predominant oral manifestations on the basis of similarity in clinical and histological characteristics despite different pathogenesis and prognostic aspects. Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder clinically manifested as fibrosis of the skin, blood vessels, and visceral organs with or without the involvement of the oral cavity. Thus, understanding the disease mechanism, appropriate early diagnosis, and clinical management of these two entities play an important role in disease prognosis and treatment outcomes. The present review was carried out to briefly present a concise overview of the etiopathogenesis, clinical, histological, diagnosis, and management aspects of OSMF and scleroderma based on the available literature, with special emphasis on similarities and differences between these two entities subsequently aiding in appropriate treatment planning.

Keywords: antibodies; autoimmune; collagen disease; hyalinization; inflammation; oral premalignancy; scleroderma; submucous fibrosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Etiology and risk factors of oral submucous fibrosis
Image Credit: Dr. Sreedevi J
Figure 2
Figure 2. Etiopathogenesis of OSMF
Image Credit: Dr. Sreedevi J OSMF: oral submucous fibrosis
Figure 3
Figure 3. Etiology and risk factors of scleroderma
Image Credit: Dr. Sreedevi J
Figure 4
Figure 4. Etiopathogenesis of scleroderma
Image Credit: Dr. Sreedevi J
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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