title: Oral white lesions: presentation and comparison of oral submucous fibrosis with other lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare oral submucous fibrosis with other white oral lesions for presentation and associated factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Departments of Oral Medicine and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad Institute of Oral Health Sciences (DIKIOHS), Karachi, from May 2008 to May 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients presenting with oral white lesions were selected by consecutive non-purposive sampling and clinico-demographic data was collected. For patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), additional information like duration of habits, maximal incisal opening (MIO), presence of any other associated lesion were noted. OSF was compared with other white lesions for any association between characteristic of subjects. Chi-square and independent t-tests for determining the statistical significance at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OSF was present in 59.6% (n = 106) of the 178 patients; other white lesions were 40.4% (n = 72). The mean age of patients with OSF was 34 ± 12.7 years and 45.81 ± 16.2 years in patients with other white lesions, (p < 0.0001).Items containing areca nut were consumed more by patients with OSF, with a significant (p < 0.0001) compared to patients with other white lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OSF was the predominant white lesion in patients examined at DIKIOHS. Areca nut was found to be chewed more by patients with OSF and still longer by patients with SCC.
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maqsood
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aman
authors.forename: Mohammad Aamir
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ghafoor Chaudhry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001114:Areca; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D028321:Plant Preparations
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations