Oral submucous fibrosis: a historical perspective and a review on etiology and pathogenesis

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic, insidious disease characterized by progressive submucosal fibrosis of the oral cavity and the oropharynx. People affected by this disease mostly live in south Asia, but migrants from these countries to the United States and Europe may present with OSF. We provide a historical background of the disease, and the objective of this review is to update the current knowledge on the etiology and etiopathogenesis of OSF.