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Aloe vera in treatment of oral submucous fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sadeq Ali Al-MaweriSajna AshrafAmara Swapna LingamAhmed AlqutaibiSaleem AbdulrabNader Ahmed AlAizariEsam S Halboub
Published in: Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology (2018)
The management of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is quite challenging, and as yet, no effective therapy is available for its management. The present systematic review and meta-analysis sought to assess the effectiveness of aloe vera in alleviating pain and clinical signs of OSF. A comprehensive search in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify the relevant randomized clinical trials. RevMan 5.3 software was used for data analysis. Six randomized controlled trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results of meta-analysis showed statistically significant differences between aloe vera and control groups in alleviating pain/burning sensation at the end of the first and second month, in favor of aloe vera, but no significant differences were found at the end of the third month. With regard to objective clinical outcomes, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups. Aloe vera has a promising effect in reducing pain/burning sensation and clinical improvement in patients with OSF. However, owing to the marked heterogeneity of the included studies, conducting well-designed trials with long follow-up periods, standardized outcome measures and adequate sample sizes are warranted.
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