Morphometric assessment of soft palate in oral submucous fibrosis using cone beam computed tomography: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Context: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), a chronic disorder, presents with limited mouth opening and fibrosis of the lining mucosa of the upper digestive tract involving the oral cavity, oropharynx, and commonly the upper third of the esophagus. Studies assessing morphological changes of soft palate using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) may construe functional alterations. Aims: The objective of our study was to assess (1) the morphological variations of soft palate, (2) its comparison with different OSMF grades and control groups by CBCT, and (3) velopharyngeal incompetency. Setting and Design: The study attributed the clinical features of OSMF based on Pindborg's classification. Patients were scanned for morphometric assessment of soft palate. Materials and Method: CBCT images of 45 OSMF patients and 45 control-group patients were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20 (SPSS Pvt Ltd. Chicago, IL, USA). Two investigators performed the morphometric analysis, and the average was taken.Statistical Analysis: Independent t-test was applied. Results: A total of 90 patients were imaged. Leaf-type morphology was the most common, and Stage III had the maximum of butt-type morphology. Mean velar width was significantly higher in the OSMF group compared to the control group. Conclusions: The study illustrated three-dimensional soft palate images including the morphology in different OSMF grades, thereby accurately measuring various parameters of soft palate. As OSMF progresses, the morphology of soft palate changes eventually from Type I to other types. Morphological changes can be reversed or arrested from further worsening if assessed in the first phase of OSMF.