Scope of Conventional and Fractal Morphometry in Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders and Oral Cancer

Abstract

World Health Organization (WHO) defined the terminology ‘Oral Potentially malignant disorders’ (OPMD) as the presence of risk of malignancy in a lesion or condition either during the time of initial diagnosis or at a future date with the commonly accepted prevalence of 1–5%. All OPMDs may not transform into malignancy, many factors have been explored which effectively assess the risk of malignant transformation in OPMDs including many clinical, pathological and molecular factors. Qualitative & experimental factors of different cells in cytological preparations and/or biopsy specimens are reliable parameters for pathologists. The analysis and assessment of histological units can be enhanced by image analysis assisted by a computer that can be used for statistical comparisons. Fractal geometry is considered to be an ideal method of image analysis in quantitative microscopy & histopathology. Fractal dimension analysis is not only limited to determining cell and tumour types but can also be used for determining cellular behaviours in vitro such as cell migration, apoptosis and cellular differentiation, which can be a useful characterization of oral cancer lines and further help in the treatment planning.

Keywords: Oral Cancer, Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs), Conventional morphometry, Fractal Dimension, Photomicrograph