Nasolabial flap used in management of oral submucous fibrosis: A case-report

Oral submucous fibrosis is an insidious, chronic, disabling disease of unknown etiology that affects the whole of oral cavity, pharynx and sometimes larynx. Schwartz coined the term “atrophica idiopathica mucosa oris” to describe oral fibrosing disease. Later the term “oral submucous fibrosis” was coined by Joshi. It is characterized by stiffening and blanching of the oral mucosa, which causes progressive limitation of mouth opening and burning sensation on taking hot and spicy food. It is always associated with juxtaepithelial inflammatory reaction followed by fibroelastic changes of the lamina propria with epithelial atrophy leading to stiffness of the oral mucosa. It is an established precancerous condition with increased number of cases in Indian population and is widely common in all age groups and across all the socioeconomic strata in India. Most of the patients report with malignant transformation as a slow growing Squamous cell carcinoma which is a serious threat to the patient.