Complete Blood Count as a Pathological Diagnostic Marker in Oral Precancerous Lesions and Conditions
Author(s): Indra G, Maragathavalli G* and TN Uma Maheswari
Abstract
Oral potentially malignant disorders have 16% - 62% risk of malignant transformation and oral cancer accounts for approximately 3% of all malignancies. Oral premalignant disorders namely lichen planus, leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, actinic cheilitis, or discoid lupus erythematous are conditions seen due to various etiological factors like tobacco consumption either smoking or in smokeless form, sun exposure, etc. Blood investigations are a minimally invasive and less expensive investigatory method employed commonly in all forms of medicine. The aim of this study is to analyze if complete blood count can be used as a diagnostic marker in premalignant disorders and to compare their blood levels with healthy individuals. A total of 200 patients with oral potentially premalignant disorders attending the oral medicine clinic at Saveetha Dental College and Hospital between June 2019 and December 2019 were taken into the study. Each patient was subjected to complete blood investigation and their results were studied. The result of the study reveals that there was a minimal variation in the cell count of individuals with premalignant disorders observed. In order to conclude that the complete blood count can be used as a pathological marker, further studies need to be carried out in a larger population.