An Insight in to Prevalence of Binucleated Squamous Cells in Buccal Smear by Methylene Blue Staining

Abstract

Examination of buccal smear is a simple and cost effective method to detect any nuclear abnormalities. The squamous cells of the buccal smear may show nuclear variations in shape, number, micronuclei reflecting any underlying pathology or exposure to genotoxic contaminants or familial or radiation effects due to excessive smartphone use. The present study is done to determine the nuclear abnormalities taken from the buccal smears of medical and dental students. Buccal smears from 25 boys and 25 girls of first year medical and dental students were collected on clean slides, after taking informed consent. Each smear was heated over a bunsen burner for a while and stained with methylene blue using the standard procedure. The smears were observed under the light microscope under low and high power. Photographs were taken which showed binucleated squamous cells. The entire study was done in the central research lab of the institute. 2 smears showed binucleated cells, discarding the other nuclear abnormalities. The nuclei were two in each cell at two places in one smear and in one field in other smear. Buccal smear examination is a cost effective and easy procedure to identify any nuclear abnormalities that reflect underlying pathologies. The presence of binucleated cells in the buccal smear explains the need for further analysis in the two cases.