Variability in Velar Morphology among Patients with Oral Submucous Fibrosis - A Cross-Sectional Survey in Odisha

Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is slowly progressing chronic mucosal disease that can affect any part of the oral mucosa, even the pharynx. The soft palate and uvula also undergo significant fibrosis.

A total number of 200 patients (study and control groups with 100 participants each), were evaluated clinically for OSMF. The velar morphology was studied using digital Lateral Cephalogram.

Data were evaluated in SPSS with Chi square test, the independent t-test and one way ANOVA.

In the 100 cases and 100 controls, the age ranged between 17 and 72 years. In the study group, 11 (11%) participants revealed Stage I OSMF,36 (36%) participants presented with Stage II OSMF, and rest 53 (53%) had Stage III OSMF. Mean velar length in Stage I was 3.42 cm, in Stage II it was 3.15 cm and in Stage III it was 3.022 cm. Similarly, the mean pharyngeal depth, velum angle and need's ratio also increased as staging of OSMF progressed. Mean velar width in Stage I was 1.00 cm, in Stage II it was 0.92 cm and in Stage III it was 0.94 cm. Mean distribution of velar length, need's ratio among stages of OSMF showed statistically significant result with P value of less than 0.05.

This present study revealed that the soft palate changes its form to short and bulky in OSMF patients.