Research Article An Evaluation of Clinical and Histopathological Aspects of Patients with Oral Submucous Fibrosis in the Background of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma B. S. M. S. Siriwardena , 1 K. L. T. D. Jayawardena, 2 N. H. Senarath, 1 and W. M. Tilakaratne 1 1 Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka 2 Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka Correspondence should be addressed to B. S. M. S. Siriwardena; samadarani@yahoo.com Received 28 May 2018; Revised 6 August 2018; Accepted 24 September 2018; Published 9 October 2018 Academic Editor: Satoshi Maruyama Copyright © 2018 B. S. M. S. Siriwardena et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Te behavior and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is presumably diferent in patients with oral submucous fbrosis (OSF). Te objective of this study was to assess the efects of demographic features, habits, and histopathological features in the transformation of OSF to OSCC. Methods. Data were extracted from the archives and histopathological evaluation and presence of nodal metastasis were recorded. Results. OSF was detected in 130 (48%) out of 273 OSCC patients. Te mean age of presentation among OSF-positive patients was 57.7 years, while patients diagnosed only with OSCC had a comparatively higher age, 59.5 years. In the below 50 years of age group, presence of OSF with OSCC was less (40%). In the OSF-positive group, male to female ratio was 3.2:1. Te common primary sites were buccal mucosa and tongue in both groups. Betel quid chewing was present in more than 95% of the sample. Betel chewing, smoking, and alcohol consumption were present in 26.15% of OSF-positive patients. Degree of fbrosis was neither associated with the level of histological diferentiation of the tumor (p= 0.195) nor associated with the malignant transformation (p =0.373). Lymph node metastasis was not seen in 76.63% and 68.54% of the patients with and without OSF, respectively. Conclusions. High degree of prevalence of OSF was observed among the OSCC patients. Tere were also a male predilection and younger age at presentation in these patients. However, a signifcant association was not observed in the degree of fbrosis with malignant transformation or the level of histopathological diferentiation of the tumor. Lymph node metastasis also failed to express a signifcant relationship with the presence of OSF. 1. Introduction Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a critical health problem afecting millions of people worldwide. Even though the causes may vary regionally, the course of the disease and sufering prevails undeterred. Te potentially malignant period of OSCC is an aspect that provides a benefcial approach to prevention. Tis period may be manifested as localized or generalized alterations of the epithelium, leading towards carcinogenesis. Oral submucous fbrosis (OSF) is one such potentially malignant condition that subjects the oral cavity to a wide- spread alteration in morphology and physiology. Te clinical manifestation comprises the classic triad: blanching of the mucosa, burning sensation on irritation with spicy food, and depapillation of the tongue. Tese will be followed by depigmentation of the lips and loss of elasticity of the mucosa with development of palpable fbrous bands in the oral cavity, progressing from the anterior region to the posterior region of the mouth. Tere are also apparent woody changes of sof palate and tongue, ultimately resulting in loss of mobility of the tongue along with restricted mouth opening [1–3]. Tis disease takes course due to the chronic exposure of the oral mucosa to carcinogens already identifed in a constituent of the betel quid. In Sri Lanka, the betel quid is composed of betel leaf, areca nut, slaked lime, and fermented/dried tobacco leaf. Te main etiological factor for OSF is identifed as areca nut. Arecoline in areca nut is Hindawi BioMed Research International Volume 2018, Article ID 4154165, 7 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4154165