COMPARISON OF MAST C ELL COUNT AND MAST C ELL DENSITY IN NORMA L MUCOSA, ORAL LEUKOPL AKIA, ORAL LICHEN PL ANUS, ORAL SUBMUCOUS FIBROSIS AND ORAL SQUAMOUS CE LL CARCINOMA - A STUDY ON 50 CASES

The present study was carried out for quantitative analysis of the mean MCC/optical field and also MCD/sq. m m in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) , oral lic hen planus (OLP), oral leukoplakia (OL), oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and n ormal buccal mucosa which constituted control group. This study was carried out in the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbio logy, Jaipur Dental College, Jaipur. Histologically confirmed 10 cases each of OSMF, OL, OLP and OSCC were selected. The sections were obtained and stained with toluidine blue. The number of mast cells/optical field and mast ce ll density/sq. mm were assess ed. An assessment of the role of mast cells in the etiopathogenesis of oral submucous fibrosis, oral lichen planus and oral leuko plakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma was reviewed. The following conclu sions were drawn from our study. An increase in both mean MCC/optical field and MCD/sq. mm in OSMF, OLP, OL & OSCC . This increase in the values was statistically significant when compared with that of normal buccal mucosa which constituted t he control group. An increase in both mean MCC/optical field and MC D/sq. mm was found in precancerous condition & lesion and also in potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions. This increase in the values was statistically significant when compared with that of normal buccal mucosa which constituted the co ntrol s . KE YWORDS : Mast cells, Mast cell count, Mast cell density , Oral submucous fibrosis, Oral leukoplakia, oral lichen planus, oral squamous cell carcinoma