A Study of Toluidine Blue Staining in Suspected Oral Malignancies in Patients Presenting to Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

Oral malignancies are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in worldwide and especially in Indian subcontinent. India stands at first position in total number of oral cancers in worldwide. Hence it is the need of hour to have safe and reliable screening test for early diagnosis of oral malignancies. Toluidine blue (TB) staining is an ideal screening test with high sensitivity and specificity. This study carried out in our department with objective to study efficacy of TB in oral malignancies and potential oral malignant lesions and also to evaluate and compare TB staining with histopathological examination of lesion. This prospective study conducted on 183 patients who attended ENT department. Out of 183 patients 146 (79.8%) were positive with TB and 37 (20.2%) were not stained with TB. Out of 146 positive patients 134 were turned out to be positive for malignancy in histopathological examination. Out of 37 negative patients 5 were positive for malignancy in histopathological examination and 32 were negative. Out of 183 patients 139 (76%) were positive whereas 44 (24%) were found negative for malignancy. In present study clinical examination of oral cavity reveal most of the patients had leukoplakis (37.7%) followed by swelling (26.8%), ulcer (26.2%). Positive and negative predictive value of TB was 91.8% and 86.5% respectively whereas positive and negative predictive value of histopathology was 96.4% and 72.7% respectively. TB stain is cheap, quick and easily available readymade kit and no side effects and so have excellent patient compliance so it can be best utilized as a premier tool in initial detection of suspected oral malignancy.