title: Correlation between histological grading and ploidy status in potentially malignant disorders of the oral mucosa: A flow cytometric analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Histopathological grading of oral dysplastic lesions is the method of choice for evaluating malignant and potentially malignant disorders. Owing to inter- and intra-observer variability, determination of the DNA ploidy status of lesions may serve as an adjunct in the prediction of malignant transformation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To correlate histopathological grading and ploidy status in potentially malignant and malignant disorders of the oral mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot study was done with 30 patients (10 patients with oral potentially malignant disorders predominantly leukoplakia, 10 patients with oral malignant lesions and 10 patients with normal mucosa).
  
  
  METHODS
  Incisional biopsy was done after isolating the biopsy site with 1% Toluidine blue staining. Two sections of the tissue were removed and sent for histopathological and Flow-cytometric analysis respectively. Histopathological diagnosis was obtained and compared with Flow-cytometric results which were graded as diploid and aneuploid. Further, the S - phase fraction, DNA index were also calculated to evaluate the severity of malignant transformation or malignancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The results were analyzed using Pearson Chi-Square Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There exists a significant correlation between histopathology and ploidy status in both potentially malignant and malignant group. (P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data from this study has shown that DNA Ploidy analysis can be used as a valuable tool in assessing the carcinomatous progression of potentially malignant and malignant lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Madha Dental College and Hospital, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vijayavel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aswath
keywords: Deoxyribonucleic acid index; S-phase fraction; flow cytometer; histopathology; oral cancer; potentially malignant disorder