Histopathological Spectrum of Orofacial Lesions: Insights from a Tertiary Hospital in Western Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Oral and maxillofacial region is a composite anatomical area where variety of lesions occurs ranging from congenital, non-neoplastic, precancerous lesions and cancers. Mostly these are asymptomatic and share common characteristic on clinical examination. Histopathology serves as an important aid in making correct diagnosis for proper patient management.

Aims: To Study the histopathological spectrum of oro- facial lesions and their association with socio-demographic and behavioral factors.

Methods: This is a hospital based cross sectional study done at Department of Pathology, Nepalgunj Medical College, Kohalpur. It included 75 biopsies from department of Oral and maxillofacial surgery. Samples were processed as per standard protocol, stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain and histopathological diagnosis was established for each of them. Data were entered in Excel-sheet and analysis was done using SPSS 25.0 software.

Results: Age of patients ranged from 10 to 75 years, with a higher proportion of males (62%). Buccal cavity was the commonest site for biopsy, followed by palate and mandible. Among the 29 benign tumors identified, the most frequently encountered lesions were fibroma, Ameloblastoma, and various jaw cysts. A total of 23 malignant cases were recorded, with squamous cell carcinoma accounting for 19 of them. Tobacco use in any form demonstrated a statistically significant association with cancers of the oral cavity.

Conclusion: Buccal cavity was the most commonly involved site involved in our study with benign tumors being more frequent than malignant ones. Squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest malignancy. Histopathology is vital for accurate diagnosis and to implement appropriate interventions for improved patient outcomes