Cytological Features of Oral Cytobrush Smears in Type II Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Oral cytology is a renewed field that aids in diagnosis and observation of possible epithelial changes associated with oral mucosal diseases. Aim; to study the main cytomorphological alteration in gingival and buccal smears from type II diabetics in relation to their hyperglycemic status. The study includes 40 type II diabetic patients (20 new-diagnosed and 20 treated diabetics patients) and 20 healthy persons of both sex. Papanicolaou stained smear were prepared from their cheek and gingiva. The morphological features of 100 unfolded epithelial cells were evaluated under light microscope. Results of this study show that diabetics’ oral mucosa cells characterized by large nuclei with frequent evidence of binucleation, granular chromatin, prominent nucleoli. However, there was frequent small blue cytoplasm and buccal smears showed altered keratinization. As conclusion oral cytology from type II diabetics is associated with detectable cytomorphological changes that is site specific and indicate epithelial cell regeneration and degeneration with altered keratinization especially in buccal mucosa.