The Complexity of the Oral Mucosa: A Review of the Use of Fractal Geometry

Abstract

The oral mucosa represents the lining of the oral cavity. It is composed of epithelium supported by connective tissue. The shape of the interface between these two tissues has traditionally been used to describe physiological and pathological changes in the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to review the use of fractal geometry to compare the complexity of the epithelial connective tissue interface (ECTI) in normal, dysplastic, pseudo-neoplastic and malignant oral mucosae. This was achieved by estimating global and local fractal dimensions of ECTI profiles isolated from histological images representing these different diagnostic groups. This study showed that fractal geometry is a useful objective tool in describing tissue complexity in the oral mucosa.