treatment of oral fibrosis with carbon dioxide [CO2] Laser

ABSTRACT

Oral Submucous fibrosis is a chronic insiduous disease of unknown etiology, commonly seen in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, mainly afflicting the young who consume Areca nut [Supari]. Being a progressive condition, of ambiguous nature, no single modality has, so far been established for its treatment. Anything from as naive a thing as placebo pills to as aggressive a treatment as bilateral temporo-mandibular condylectomy have been advocated in the literature. This is a report of our experience in 55 cases of oral fibrosis, which were treated with Carbon Dioxide [C0[2]] Laser. There were 41 [74.5%] females and 14 [25.5%] males, varying between 15-50 years of age [mean 33 yrs]. They were treated between June 1989 - June 1990, with a followup period of 2-12 months. The equipment used was OPMILAS II, with an incorporated OPMI-I [ZEISS] operating microscope. The post surgical outcome shows an immediate improvement in opening of mouth. The follow up results indicate subjective improvement of symptoms of burning and discomfort on taking hot food. Taking into account the positive outcome of the surgery under the fact that most of the cases required single sitting, topical anaesthesia alongwith negligible postoperative pain and oedema highlights the effectivity of laser surgery in such cases. Its limited application in extreme cases and necessity for strict safety measures cannot however be ignored