Cytomorphometric changes of oral mucosa during normal hormonal turnovers in healthy young menstruating women

Abstract

Oral mucous membrane is an excellent indicator of the constitutional state of a patient. The oral mucosa is under tropic influence of various hormones and thus reflects the systemic status of an individual. Very few cytomorphometric studies are done to evaluate the role of sex hormones on oral mucosa. This study was done to determine the morphometric changes in a cell and nuclear diameter of exfoliated cells from the oral mucosa during the course of normal menstrual cycle in healthy women. The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral smears reflect hormonal state of menstrual cycle. In this study consisting of 40 study subjects and 20 control subjects, smears were collected from buccal mucosa twice per week for a period of three months. Morphometric analysis of the cell and nuclear diameter was done and results were statistically analysed. Cell diameter showed significant changes during various phases of the menstrual cycle of healthy young women. In Comparison of both study and control groups, no significant changes were seen in cell and nuclear diameter of the exfoliated cells. The present study showed changes in cell diameter of the study group which could be related to the role of female sex hormones.