Liver fibrosis in OSMF patients and areca nut chewers: an ultrasonographic study.

Aim & Objective: Prolonged areca-nut chewing, apart from causing oral submucous fibrosis, has also been reported to cause various systemic ill effects including fibrosis of visceral organs like liver, pancreas and gall bladder. Other than animal studies, such evidences have also been obtained from population based observational studies. To gain further insight, this study was conducted to test a hypothesis that prolonged areca-nut chewing may lead to liver fibrosis. Material and Method: Thirteen prolonged areca nut chewers with OSMF (Study group-1), eight prolonged areca-nut chewers without OSMF (Study Group-2) and five healthy individuals without deleterious habits (Control Group) were subjected to ultrasonographic study of abdomen. Result: 19% of total study subjects and none in control showed fibrotic changes in liver. Out of which 75% were OSMF patients and 25% were areca nut chewers without OSMF. Conclusion: Ill effects of areca nut chewing may be evident in liver even before it involves the oral mucosa without the effect of other risk factors.