title: Management of oral submucous fibrosis by two different drug regimens: A comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSF) is a precancerous condition of the oral mucosa. Existing treatments give only temporary symptomatic relief. Colchicine is an ancient drug with anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties. We planned to study the effects of colchicine in the management of oral submucous fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty OSF patients were divided randomly into two groups and treated for 12 weeks. Group 1-Patients were administered tablet colchicine orally, 0.5 mg twice daily and 0.5 ml intralesional injection Hyaluronidase 1,500 IU into each buccal mucosa once a week. Group 2-Patients were administered 0.5 ml intralesional injection Hyaluronidase 1,500 IU and 0.5 ml intralesional injection Hydrocortisone acetate 25 mg/ml in each buccal mucosa once a week alternatively. Student's t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare pre and post treatment results. P<0.05 was considered as significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three percent in group 1 got relief from burning sensation in the second week. Inter group comparisons of increase in mouth opening and reduction in histological parameters indicated that group 1 patients responded better than group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These encouraging results should prompt further clinical trials with colchicine alone on a larger sample size to broaden the therapeutic usefulness of the drug in the management of OSF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, ITS Centre for Dental Studies and Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, India.
authors.forename: Bhuvana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krishnamoorthy
authors.forename: Mubeen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khan
keywords: Anti-fibrotic; anti-inflammatory; colchicine; hyaluronidase; oral submucous fibrosis