Prevalence of oral lesions in Brazilian patients with tuberculosis.

Background : Oral lesions of tuberculosis (TB) are rare and usually associated with the secondary form of the disease. Aim : The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of oral lesions in a cohort of TB-infected individuals. Materials and Methods : The study was carried out in two reference centers for the treatment of TB in Recife, Brazil. All patients treated for TB in the period from July 2008 to March 2009 were included in the study. The data was subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. Results : One hundred and twenty-one patients were included in the study. A marked male prevalence was observed, with a male:female ratio of 6.12:1. HIV coinfection was a common event (33%). Head and neck lesions of TB were rare. Cervical node enlargement was observed in seven individuals (5.8%) and oral ulceration in one patient (0.8%). Discussion : The low prevalence of oral lesions of TB is in accordance with other studies. Nodal involvement is the most common form of head and neck disease. Conclusion : While TB may be a common accompanying feature of HIV disease, orofacial complications of TB are rare in individuals resident in northern Brazil.

Ulcerative lesions of the mouth: an update for the general medical practitioner: [review]

Oral ulceration is a common complaint of patients attending out-patient clinics. Because of the diversity in causes of oral ulceration, patients presenting with oral mucosal disease can be challenging to diagnose and manage. Patients with signs or symptoms of oral ulcers are sometimes referred to gastroenterology clinics; however, in most instances the ulcers do not result from gastrointestinal disease. The aim of the present article is to review aspects of the etiology, diagnosis and management of common ulcerative disorders of the oral mucosa. A search in the National Library of Medicine computerized bibliographic database MEDLINE was performed. Selection of publications, extraction of data, and validity assessment were then performed by the authors. Based upon the searched literature, it is concluded that there are several systemic disorders that can present with similar clinical signs and symptoms, and knowledge of each disease is necessary for the clinician to provide proper management.

A ulceração oral é uma queixa comum dos pacientes que são atendidos em ambulatórios. Com freqüência é difícil estabelecer um diagnóstico preciso e atingir o controle dos sinais e sintomas dos pacientes que apresentam ulceração oral. Os pacientes acometidos por ulceração oral são eventualmente encaminhados para os ambulatórios de gastroenterologia, entretanto, a maioria das úlceras não reflete doença gastrointestinal, e sim desordens sistêmicas que podem se apresentar com sinais e sintomas clínicos similares. O objetivo do presente artigo foi revisar aspectos da etiologia, diagnóstico e tratamento das desordens ulcerativas mais comuns da mucosa oral. Foi realizada uma busca no banco de dados MEDLINE da National Library of Medicine. A seleção dos artigos, coleta de dados e julgamento em termos da pertinência de inclusão foram realizadas pelos autores. Baseado na literatura pesquisada, foi concluído que existem várias doenças sistêmicas que podem apresentar sinais e sintomas clínicos semelhantes e o conhecimento de cada doença poderá guiar o clínico para uma intervenção apropriada.