Oral Exfoliative Cytology and Micronuclei

In recent years, there has been a significant resurgence in interest in oral cytology as a diagnostic and prognostic approach for tracking patients with mouth cancer and possibly malignant illnesses. To assess genetic instability, the buccal mucosal micronuclei assay was initially proposed in 1983. Biomarkers exist that indicate the likelihood of an aggressive tumor developing from a potentially malignant illness. According to reports, these genotoxic and carcinogenic substances are strong clastogenic and mutagenic agents, which are believed to be in charge of causing chromatid/chromosomal abnormalities that lead to the formation of micronuclei. According to several research, the steady rise in micronucleus (MN) counts from healthy oral mucosa to possibly cancerous conditions to oral carcinoma indicated a connection between this biomarker and the development of neoplasms.. MN scoring is a biomarker that can be used to detect various preneoplastic disorders far before clinical signs appear. It may be particularly useful in screening high-risk individuals for a particular cancer. As a result, it can serve as a screening, prognostic, and instructional tool in oral cancer community centers.