title: Drug treatment of oral submucous fibrosis: a review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the literature on drug treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic search was performed for articles published from January 1960 to August 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 17 publications were searched, and 15 publications showed a high level of evidence (6 randomized controlled trials, 4 clinical trials/controlled clinical trials, and 5 other experimental studies), with a total of 1,224 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few studies with high levels of evidence were found. It is quite difficult to compare or even combine their outcomes in a scientifically meaningful manner. Because of insufficient research data, there is a need for high-quality randomized, controlled trials in this area of medicine.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017364:Collagenases / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014131:Trace Elements; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014815:Vitamins; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase; D017364:Collagenases