Quality of Life in Oral Submucous Fibrosis- A Case Report with a Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder commonly found in the Southeast Asian region, classically characterized through restricted mouth opening and burning sensation in the mouth on consuming spicy food. The etiopathogenesis and treatment aspects of OSMF have been extensively researched and reviewed. However, the effect of this condition on the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients has not gained much consideration. The aim of our case report is to highlight the importance of evaluating the QoL in an OSMF patient by discipline-specific questionnaire and also to present to the readers a review of the recently published research articles on the application of QoL questionnaires in OSMF patients. Results: It was observed that most of the researchers used generic and discipline-specific questionnaire for evaluating the quality of life in OSMF patients. Conclusion: Evaluation of QoL is recommended during the treatment of OSMF patients. There is a need to develop and employ more of disease-specific QoL instruments for OSMF patients.