Oral Submucous Fibrosis—treatment with hyalase

Abstract

AbstractOral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is a disease of unknown etiology. A total of 96 patients with Oral Submucous Fibrosis have received four regimens of treatment–local dexamethasone, local hyaluronidase, local combination of dexamethasone and hyaluronidase, and local placental extract. The patients were followed up for a period varying from 3 months to 2 years. The group of patients receiving hyaluronidase alone showed quicker improvement in symptoms although its combination with dexamethasone gave somewhat better longer-term results. A new regimen for the treatment of submucous fibrosis is recommended.Oral Submucous Fibrosis is a well-known clinical entity, known since the time of Sushurta. In the modern literature, this condition was first reported by Schwartz (1952). Joshi (1953) was the first person to describe this entity in India.Oral Submucous Fibrosis has been defined as an insidious chronic disease of unknown etiology, reported mainly in Indians, and affecting the entire oral cavity. The basic change is a fibro-elastotic transformation of the connective tissue in the lamina propria preceded by vesicle formation. In its later stages the oral mucous membrane becomes stiff and the patient suffers from trismus and resultant difficulty in eating (Pindborg and Sirsat, 1966).The present paper deals with our experience in the management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis over the past 21/2 years.