Oral submucous fibrosis in a school-going Indian adolescent boy

A 14-year-old boy presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of difficulty in opening his mouth and a burning sensation on eating spicy food. The oral mucosa showed generalized diffused blanching and he was unable to protrude his tongue. For 6 years he had habitually chewed gutkha - a mixture of betel nut and tobacco for several minutes a day. This oral submucous fibrosis condition is very rare in young patients. The case highlights the link between oral submucous fibrosis and the regular use of areca nut (gutkha) products in a young boy.