Cytomorphometric analysis of exfoliated cells in patients with oral lichen planus

Abstract

Lichen planus is a mucocutaneous chronic inflammatory lesion with a potential for malignant transformation. Exfoliative cytology is a cheaper and less aggressive method for early diagnosis. The study was conducted to evaluate cytomorphometric changes of exfoliated cells of oral lichen planus lesions. This case-control study was accomplished on 33 patients with oral lichen planus and 50 patients who did not have any lesions as the control group. Buccal mucosa cells which were provided by five to ten reciprocating motion of hard toothbrush with constant tolerable pressure were spread on a slide; then, the samples were fixed within an hour and stained with papanicolau method. The cytomorphometric parameters including the diameter of the nucleus (ND), the diameter of cytoplasm (CD), and nuclear-cytoplasmic diameter ratio of each cell were measured. Our findings showed a significant increase in nuclear diameter of case group cells and a significant decrease in cytoplasmic diameter of the same group; so, the N/C ratio in this group was clearly higher than the control group. Oral mucosa brush biopsy can be an inexpensive, sensitive, simple, and safe method of screening the dysplastic and malignant changes. It serves as an adjuvant method which is precise, objective, and repeatable.

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