Cytomorphometric analysis of exfoliated buccal mucosal cells in smokers and tobacco chewers

Abstract

Aims and Objectives: Exfoliative cytology is a minimally invasive procedure that has been used for the detection of early changes in clinically normal oral mucosa of tobacco users. This study highlights the cause-effect relationship between tobacco usage in varied forms and the structural cellular and nuclear alterations in different age groups. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with different age groups who were tobacco users as a planned, cross-sectional study. Results: The results of the study revealed that the mean nuclear diameter (ND) and cytoplasmic diameter (CD) showed a statistically significant difference in the control group and in smokers and tobacco chewers. Conclusion: Increase in ND and decreased CD, as well as an altered nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio, appear to be due to chronic tobacco usage and cytomorphometric analysis can be used to detect these cellular and subcellular alterations at an early enough stage before actually a frank, morphological change can be appreciated in relation to the oral mucosa.