Exfoliative cytology of the oral mucosa in burning mouth syndrome: a cytomorphological and cytomorphometric analysis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate oral epithelial cells by exfoliative cytology in burning mouth syndrome (BMS).


METHODS
Oral smears were collected from clinically normal-appearing mucosa by liquid-based exfoliative cytology in 40 individuals (20 BMS patients and 20 healthy controls matched for age and gender) and analysed for cytological and cytomorphometric techniques.


RESULTS
Mean values of nuclear area (NA) for experimental and control groups were, respectively, 67.52 and 55.64 μm² (p < 0.05). Cytoplasmic area (CA) showed the following mean values: 1258.0 (experimental) and 2069.0 μm² (control). Nucleus-to-cytoplasm area ratio for the experimental group was 0.07, besides the control group was 0.03 (p < 0.05). Morphologically, oral smears exhibited normal epithelial cells in both experimental and control groups. There was a significant predominance of nucleated cells of the superficial layer in the smears of BMS patients (p = 0.00001).


CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed that oral mucosa of BMS patients exhibited significant cytomorphometric changes in the oral epithelial cells. These changes probably are associated with epithelial atrophy and a deregulated maturation process that may contribute to the oral symptoms of pain and discomfort in BMS.
Wandeur
Talita
T
Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
de Moura
Sérgio Adriane Bezerra
SA
de Medeiros
Ana Miryam Costa
AM
Machado
Maria Ângela Naval
MÂ
Alanis
Luciana Reis de Azevedo
LR
Grégio
Ana Maria Trindade
AM
Trevilatto
Paula Cristina
PC
de Lima
Antonio Adilson Soares
AA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D048430:Cell Shape; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology
D004396:Coloring Agents