Prevalence of Trismus and Its Impact on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Treated for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

1 Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology, Government Dental College & Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

2 Department of Dentistry, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College & Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra State, India.

3 Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, Maharashtra State, India.

4 RST Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (Tertiary care cancer centre), Nagpur, Maharashtra State, India.

5 Department of Dentistry, Government Medical College & Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra State, India.

6 Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology. Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India.

7 Dental Surgeon, , Aarti regency, Mahalakshmi Nagar, Manewada Road, Nagpur, Maharashtra State, India.

8 Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

9 Department of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Buraydah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma, one of the most common malignancies, has a poor prognosis due to impairment in oral functions secondary to treatment. Trismus one of the major causes of impairment of oral function. The present study investigated the prevalence of trismus and its impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients treated for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The maximum inter-incisal mouth opening of hundred OSCC patients was recorded at post-treatment and 3 months post-treatment. OHRQoL questionnaire (OHIP-14) was intervened to assess the OHRQoL of patients post-treatment and 3 months follow-up, with emphasis on correlation with grades of trismus. The prevalence of trismus was 16% pre-treatment, 72% post-treatment, and 62% at 3 months after treatment. The overall OHIP-14 scores indicated that patients with trismus reported greater impairment of OHRQoL than those without trismus at the end of treatment and 3 months follow-up. At the end of treatment, patients with severe trismus demonstrated a higher mean OHIP-14 score (23.47 ±3.34) than those with moderate (17.72 ±2.83) and mild trismus (12.66 ±3.84) with statistically significant differences (p <0.001). Equivalent results were obtained at 3 months follow-up period. Patients with trismus suffer greater impairment of OHRQoL. The findings demand the need of identifying risk factors for developing trismus and early institution of newer/modified treatment approaches for better OHRQoL in OSCC survivors.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects