Abstract:

To examine the effect of smoking on normal buccal mucosa cytomorphologically. Materials and methods: Forty individuals aged between 40 and 60, comprising 23 smokers (14 male, 9 female) and 17 and non-smokers (10 male, 7 female), were included in the study. The buccal epithelial cells of these individuals were collected with a brush and the cells were measured cytomorphometrically using software. Results: The average nuclear area (NA), nuclear perimeter (NP), minimal nuclear diameter (D-min), and maximal nuclear diameter (D-max) were 46.00 ± 11.31, 28.18 ± 2.43, 6.18 ± 0.88, and 10.00 ± 0.94, respectively, in the control group, and 53.61 ± 7.29, 29.52 ± 2.02, 6.87 ± 0.63 and 10.52 ± 0.67 in the study group, respectively. While there was a statistically significant difference in NA, D-min, and D-max (t = 2.586, P = 0.014; t = 2.909, P = 0.006; t = 2.064, P = 0.046, respectively), there was no statistically significant difference in NP between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: This increase determined in NA shows smoking-related cellular adaptation. It is possible to conclude that this adaptive change in the cell nucleus tends to be a dysplastic change.

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