MMPs are catalytic enzymes involved in the degradation of extracellular marix, and associated with invasive growth and metastasis of malignant tumors along with angiogenesis. This study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of VEGF expression and microvessel density(MVD) and the relationship between VEGF expression, MVD and MMPs expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas(OSCC). The materials were from 52 cases of OSCC during a period from 1991 to 2001. Clinicopathologic parameters such as clinical stage, recurrence, histologic grade and invasion pattern were evaluated. Immunohistochemical staining for MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF and CD34 were performed and statistical analyses between clinicopathologic parameters and VEGF expression and MVD were done. MMP-2, MMP-9 and VEGF expressions were noted in 30(57.7%), 21(40.1%) and 38(73.1%) of 52 cases, respectively. MVD was measurable in 35 cases, and cases with increased MVD more than average were 16(45.7%) of 35 cases. There was no significant relationship between clinicopathologic parameters and VEGF expression or MVD in OSCC, which suggests that VEGF expression and MVD can not be regarded as reliable prognostic factors. Cases with less infiltrative growth pattern showed a tendency of increased MVD, which can explain the possibility that neovascularization might be an early event of tumor invasion. Lack of significant relationship between MMPs, VEGF expressions and MVD might be due to limited number of cases, and positive correlation between MMP-2 and VEGF expression suggests that both factors might be involved in the process of angiogenesis in OSCC.