ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinico-pathologicalparameters and the status of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions stain in various histologicalgrades of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional studywas conducted on fifty cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma. The specimen were collectedfrom the department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and processed for hematoxylin and eosinstain and AgNOR stain Pathology Laboratory, King Edward Medical University Lahore. Results:Bidi smoking is associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma. The AgNOR (mAgNOR andpAgNOR) status was significantly low in well differentiated and moderately differentiatedcompared to poorly differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma (p =0.001). AgNOR size inpoorly differentiated was significantly higher than the AgNOR size in well differentiated oralsquamous cell carcinoma. Similarly the distribution of AgNOR in moderately and poorlydifferentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma was significantly high. The AgNORs index wassignificantly high in poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma as compared to welldifferentiated and moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusions: The useof AgNORs stain is easy, valid and reliable method to assess the histological grading of oralsquamous cell carcinoma and should be used to predict the prognosis of patients.