Effect of oral alpha lipoic acid in treatment of OSMF

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially cancerous disorder that affects the oral mucosa and causes a range of symptoms. Therefore it is of interest to assessing the function of oral alpha lipoic acid as a therapy for OSMF is intriguing. Hence, fifty patients with OSMF symptoms were evaluated both before and after treatment. They were split into two groups: group A, which served as the control, received 1 ml steroid injection of thioacetamide and 1500 IU of hyaluronidase (HYAL) weekly along with the oral antioxidant α-lipoic acid for three months. Group B, which served as the case study, also received 3 months of steroid injection of thioacetamide and HYAL. Patients in group B were recalled for a clinical examination using a vernier caliper, and visual analog scale (VAS) and fibrous bands (FB) were assessed at the 1^st, 3^rd and 6^th month. We found that controls had a comparable distribution pattern across visits when compared to the case. Treatment with alpha lipoic acid in conjunction with intralesional injection of thioacetamide and HYAL significantly reduced the severity of symptoms, especially burning sensation and mouth opening, in the case group over time, as previously determined.