Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions among chewing tobacco users: A cross‑sectional study.

Context: The increasing use of chewing tobacco (CT) in the last 10–12 years has led to an increased incidence of potentially malignant oral disorders and frank oral malignancies. Aim: To determine the frequency of oral mucosal lesions and to correlate the dose‑response relationship among CT users of Bengaluru North province. Settings and Design: This population‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted among a randomized cluster sample of adults in low‑income group (slums), of Bengaluru North, Karnataka state, India. Materials and Methods: Nine hundred and one subjects, all CT users were surveyed in this cross‑sectional study. A prestructured questionnaire which included information on type and amount of CT used, duration and frequency of use, and location of placement of tobacco in the oral cavity was used for assessment, which was followed by oral examination for the presence of lesions. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi‑square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to assess the statistical significance. Results: Of the 901 subjects with CT habits, 55.8% revealed no clinically detectable oral mucosal changes and 44.1% showed mucosal changes of which 63.8% were males and 36.1% were females. The most common finding was chewers mucositis (59.5%) followed by submucous fibrosis (22.8%), leukoplakia (8%), lichenoid reaction (6.5%), oral cancer (2.7%), and lichen planus (0.5%). Conclusion: This study provides information about different CT habits and associated mucosal lesions among this population.

Sialography: Report of 3 cases.

Salivary gland examination is an important part of oral examination, especially because of it's involvement in most of the systemic diseases. Patients most commonly seek medical attention when the major salivary glands like parotid and submandibular gland become enlarged or painful. The various imaging modalities practiced to check the salivary gland disorders include conventional radiography, sialography, ultrasonography, computerized tomography, radionuclide imaging and magnetic resonance imaging. Sialography is one of the oldest imaging procedures and still most commonly practiced, as it is a chair side procedure, simple to perform, and cost effective. We report the role of sialography as an adjuvant in the diagnosis of bacterial sialadenitis and sialadenosis and as a diagnostic and therapeutic aid in a case of juvenile recurrent parotitis.

Estimation of nicotine content in popular Indian brands of smoking and chewing tobacco products.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the nicotine content of some popular Indian brands of smoking tobacco (cigarettes and bidis) and pan masalas (chewable tobacco). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Commercially available cigarettes, bidis, and pan masalas (chewable tobacco) were obtained from local retail outlets for the study. Nicotine was estimated using gas-liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The analyses showed relatively higher levels of nicotine in tobacco from bidis (26.9 mg gm) as compared to cigarettes(15 mg/gm); the difference is statistically significant ( P P > 0.01). Nicotine concentration in chewing tobacco was 3.4 mg/gm. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that the nicotine content of Indian brands of smoking tobacco was slightly high compared to other international brands. Higher concentration of nicotine was found in bidis compared to cigarettes. The nicotine content in commercially available chewing tobacco products was found to be much lower than in the smoking form of tobacco, but the average daily consumption made it comparable to the smoking form.