Abstract:
This study was conducted in Khartoum state in the period from may to December
2007 to evaluate the cytological changes in buccal mucosa among smokers. The
study assessed the cytological atypia among 100 smokers (cases) and 50 non
smokers (controls). Cytological smears obtained by a wooden tongue depressor.
The samples were dyed with Papanicolaou stain.
Analysis of the smears identified atypia in 6 (6%) of the cases and no atypia
detected among apparently healthy individuals. Inflammatory infiltrate was
detected among 26 (26%) of smokers, and 5 (10%) among controls, and this
found to be statistically significant (P-value<0.05). Smoking is a risk factor for
occurrence of oral cancer.
Exfoliative cytology appears to be of value in detections of premalignant
conditions and different type of inflammatory and benign degenerative changes.
