CYTOMORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF EXFOLIATIVE CYTOLOGY IN BUCCAL MUCOSA OF SMOKERS AND NON SMOKERS IN DIABETIC PATIENTS IN SALEM POPULATION – A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Introduction: Altered cellular microenvironment of oral cavity is a not an uncommon finding in diabetes mellitus patients. Environmental factors also play a pivotal role in cellular changes where tobacco smoking is one of the major risk factor. Aim & Objective: The aim of the study is to find the cytological changes in oral mucosal cells of diabetic people with and without smoking by using cytomorphometric analysis. Materials and Methods: Oral smears were taken from 50 diabetic patients where 25 with smoking habit and 25 without smoking habit from the oral pathology department of Vinayaka mission’s Sankarachariyar dental college and hospital. The smears were fixed with 95%ethyl alcohol and stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain. The stained section observed under image analyzer for cytomorphometric analysis. Results: Cellular and nuclear alterations was significantly increased in diabetic patients with smoking habit when compared to diabetic patients without smoking, with a significant P value of 0.001. Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus influences a definite changes in cellular microenvironment in oral mucosa of smokers. However, further research is required to analyze the significance of these findings as a tool for identifying precancerous condition of oral tissues at an early stage.