title: Clinical and functional staging of oral submucous fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of location of bands in oral submucous fibrosis and extent of mouth-opening.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  325 patients who presented with oral submucous fibrosis in Karachi between January 1992 and October 1994, of whom 288 had data sufficient for analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Location of fibrous bands in the mouth and interincisal distance (mm).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjects with labial bands had bands in the fauces, and all but one who had labial bands also had buccal bands. All those with buccal bands also had bands in the fauces. Of those with buccal bands, 42% did not have labial bands. The proportion of patients with bands in all three sites increased from functional stage A (interincisal opening < or = 10 mm) to stage C (interincisal opening > or = 20 mm) with a simultaneous reduction in the proportion of people with bands in one or two sites (X2 = 105, df = 4, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bands are common at the back of the mouth in mild cases of oral submucous fibrosis and, as the disease increases in severity, are more likely to be found anteriorly as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Abbassi Shaheed Hospital, Pakistan.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Merchant
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Fikree
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rahbar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001114:Areca; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010154:Pakistan; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking