ABSTRACT
Background Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has many manifestations, including respiratory, thrombotic, neurologic, digestive, and cutaneous ones. Cutaneous manifestations have been classified into 5 clinical patterns: acro-ischemic (pseudo-chilblain), vesicular, urticarial, maculopapular, and livedoid. Oral manifestations have also been reported, but much less frequently. Patients and methods We performed a cross-sectional study in which we examined the oral mucosa of 666 patients with COVID-19 at the IFEMA field hospital in Madrid in April 2020. Results Seventy-eight patients (11.7%) had changes involving the oral mucosa. The most common were transient anterior U-shaped lingual papillitis (11.5%) accompanied or not by tongue swelling (6.6%), aphthous stomatitis (6.9%), a burning sensation in the mouth (5.3%), mucositis (3.9%), glossitis with patchy depapillation (3.9%), white tongue (1.6%), and enanthema (0.5%). Most of the patients also reported taste disturbances. Conclusions COVID-19 also manifests in the oral cavity. The most common manifestations are transient U-shaped lingual papillitis, glossitis with patchy depapillation, and burning mouth syndrome. Mucositis with or without aphthous ulcers or enanthema may also be observed. Any these findings may be key clues to a diagnosis of COVID-19. Resumen Introducción La enfermedad por coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) se ha relacionado con múltiples síntomas: respiratorios, trombóticos, neurológicos, digestivos o cutáneos. Estos últimos se han clasificado en 5 tipos: lesiones acroisquémicas, lesiones vesiculares, erupción urticarial, exantema maculopapular o lesiones livedoides. Sin embargo, se han descrito mucho menos las alteraciones orales asociadas a COVID-19. Pacientes y métodos Presentamos un estudio transversal realizado durante abril de 2020 en el Hospital de Campaña de IFEMA examinando la mucosa oral de 666 pacientes con COVID-19. Resultados En total, 78 pacientes (11.7%) presentaron alteraciones en la mucosa oral. La más frecuente fue papilitis lingual transitoria anterior en forma de U (11.5%) asociada o no a edema lingual (6,6%);estomatitis aftosa (6.9%), mucositis (3.9%) glositis con depapilación en parches (3,9%), boca urente (5.3%), lengua saburral (1,6%) y enantema (0.5%). La mayoría refería disgeusia asociada. Conclusión La cavidad oral se puede alterar por la enfermedad COVID-19, el edema lingual con papilitis lingual transitoria en forma de U o la glositis con depapilación en parches son los signos encontrados con mayor frecuencia, al igual que la sensación de ardor en la cavidad oral o boca urente. Otras manifestaciones orales que se pueden asociar a COVID-19 son mucositis con o sin aftas o el enantema. Todos pueden ser signos clave para un diagnóstico de esta enfermedad.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has many manifestations, including respiratory, thrombotic, neurologic, digestive, and cutaneous ones. Cutaneous manifestations have been classified into 5 clinical patterns: acro-ischemic (pseudo-chilblain), vesicular, urticarial, maculopapular, and livedoid. Oral manifestations have also been reported, but much less frequently. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in which we examined the oral mucosa of 666 patients with COVID-19 at the IFEMA field hospital in Madrid in April 2020. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients (11.7%) had changes involving the oral mucosa. The most common were transient anterior U-shaped lingual papillitis (11.5%) accompanied or not by tongue swelling (6.6%), aphthous stomatitis (6.9%), a burning sensation in the mouth (5.3%), mucositis (3.9%), glossitis with patchy depapillation (3.9%), white tongue (1.6%), and enanthema (0.5%). Most of the patients also reported taste disturbances. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 also manifests in the oral cavity. The most common manifestations are transient U-shaped lingual papillitis, glossitis with patchy depapillation, and burning mouth syndrome. Mucositis with or without aphthous ulcers or enanthema may also be observed. Any these findings may be key clues to a diagnosis of COVID-19.