Evaluation of Connective tissue stroma in Oral Squamous cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma is the 6th major most common squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity in the world. Early detection alerts us to start treatment immediately after diagnosis leading into better prognosis. The grading of OSCC (Well, moderate & poor) will also inform us the status of the tumor, possible management & prognosis. Special stains can improve usefulness in determining the aggressiveness of the lesion. Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions are said to cause breakdown of the collagen fibers and creation of an extracellular matrix environment conducive to the growth and metastasis of the tumor cells. This breakdown or degradation can be assessed by the intense staining and enhanced birefringence of collagen obtained using Masson trichrome and van Gieson stains. We observed in our study gradual changes in the collagen fibers birefringence in various grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma using Picrosirius Red.