Oral ulcer activity assessment with the composite index according to different treatment modalities in Behçet's syndrome: a multicentre study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this multicentre study was to understand patients' needs and to evaluate the oral ulcer activity with the Composite Index (CI), according to different treatment modalities in Behçet's syndrome (BS). METHODS: BS patients (n=834) from 12 centres participated in this cross-sectional study. Oral ulcer activity (active vs. inactive) and the CI (0: inactive vs. 1-10 points: active) were evaluated during the previous month. The effects of treatment protocols [non-immunosuppressive: non-IS vs. immunosuppressive: (ISs)], severity (mild vs. severe), disease duration (<5 years vs. ≥5 years) and smoking pattern (non-smoker vs. current smoker) were analysed for oral ulcer activity. RESULTS: Oral ulcer activity was observed in 65.1% of the group (n=543). In both genders, the activity was higher in mild disease course with non-IS treatment group compared to severe course with ISs (p<0.05). As a resistant group, patients with mild disease course whose mucocutaneous symptoms were unresponsive to non-IS medications were treated with ISs in a limited period and achieved the highest CI scores in females. Oral ulcer activity and poor CI score were associated with disease duration less than 5 years compared to others in male patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral ulcer activity pattern is affected by both the combination of disease course, treatment protocols and disease duration. CI scores reflected the oral clinical activity and CI might be a candidate scale to evaluate the efficacy of treatments during the follow-up of oral ulcer activity in BS.

Oral Ulceration: An Overview of Diagnosis and Management.

Mouth ulcers are a common complaint by patients, with individuals regularly presenting to primary care practitioners for diagnosis and treatment. The aetiology and pathogenesis of oral ulceration is, however, both varied and complex. This article highlights the importance of differentiating recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) in otherwise healthy individuals from recurrent oral ulceration (ROU) secondary to known or unknown systemic disease. An overview of the diagnosis and management of such patients is provided as a framework to guide general dental practitioners' with clinical decision making on whether to treat or refer to secondary care.

A guide to oral ulceration for the medical physician.

Oral ulceration is a common finding yet its classification, diagnosis and management remain a challenge for many hospital physicians. This article discusses the different types of oral ulceration and how to investigate and manage them.

An experimental elective report examining and comparing current levels of dental anxiety and disease in child populations in Peru and the UK.

INTRODUCTION: Dental anxiety is an important factor in influencing patients' decisions to access treatment. It is crucial dental care professionals understand its causative factors in order to prevent and manage it, particularly as dentally anxious patients often have poor oral health. This report is of an elective study that tried to ascertain whether children with signs of dental neglect suffered greater dental anxiety, as existing research suggests that anxiety can stem from previous experiences. METHOD: 100 children in both the United Kingdom and Peru were examined for signs of dental neglect using the PUFA (Pulpal exposures, Ulcers, Fistulas & Abscesses) system, and their anxiety levels surveyed with the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale. A Spearman's rank analysis was performed. RESULTS: Both groups showed similar disease levels, but Peruvian children were significantly less anxious. The r values (United Kingdom r=-0.020 Peru r=-0.0099) were less than rc=0.165 at a significance level of P=0.05, showing that increased dental neglect does not make children more anxious. DISCUSSION: It appears that having a neglected dentition as a child does not make you more anxious, but the resultant invasive treatment procedures likely to have been experienced as a child may have a role. Ultimately, cultural background and attitude to dental care are suggested as being more important in determining the dental anxiety levels of children.

Differences in impact of patient and prosthetic characteristics on oral health-related quality of life among implant-retained overdenture wearers.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of implant-retained overdenture users. METHODS: 63 patients aged 50-90 years treated with at least one implant overdenture at the Complutense University (Madrid) in 2000-2010 were included. Of those, 42 answered the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14 sp) questionnaire. The additive method was used in the OHIP analysis. Data regarding sociodemographic background, overdenture features, and clinical factors were recorded. Sociodemographic and overdenture-related variables for the lost patients (n=21) were also gathered from their history files. Descriptive probes, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and the Spearman correlation coefficient were applied (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: The predominant participants' profile was that of a 71-80-year-old woman wearing a mandibular overdenture with a bar retention system and a complete denture in the opposite jaw. 71.4% of the respondents suffered from some kind of impact on OHRQoL, showing an average score of 2.7 ± 3.0 (range: 0-13). 100% of respondents reported no impact for the "social disability" and "handicap" dimensions. The most prevalently affected domain was "physical pain", followed by "functional limitation" and "psychological discomfort". Variables such as the overdenture location or the retention system affected specific OHIP subscales (p ≤ 0.05). The greatest total score was achieved when the antagonist was a complete denture (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Implant-retained overdentures provide a seemingly acceptable quality of life in the elderly population studied, irrespective of the influence of the location, retention system, and antagonist. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Although further research is necessary, mandibular implant overdentures are more comfortable than maxillary ones. Ball-retained prostheses facilitate eating the most, whereas the presence of oral ulcers and/or candidiasis was only detected in the case of bars, thus impairing OHRQoL. A complete denture as antagonist decreases the patient overall satisfaction.

Destructive membranous periodontal disease (ligneous gingivitis): a literature review.

BACKGROUND: Destructive membranous periodontal disease, or ligneous gingivitis, is a rare condition involving nodular gingival enlargement with ulceration and periodontal tissue destruction. This review gives a brief account of the cases reported in the literature. An effort is also made to define the periodontal disease caused by plasminogen deficiency with a view to its potential inclusion in the classification of periodontal diseases. METHODS: A MEDLINE/PubMed and manual search was conducted to find papers describing ≥1 case of ligneous disease involving the oral mucosa. RESULTS: We identified 23 articles reporting 35 cases. For each patient, we analyzed various characteristics, including age, sex, age of onset, oral symptoms, histologic features, plasminogen levels (functional activity, plasma antigen), genetic features, treatment, and results of treatment during the reported follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Ligneous gingivitis is a rare periodontal disorder closely associated with ligneous conjunctivitis and plasminogen deficiency. Its diagnosis may be supported by the finding of genetic mutations responsible for the condition. Research is focusing on the future development of an effective therapy capable of arresting the destructive evolution of the disease. Additional studies, investigating features such as probing depth and attachment loss, are needed for the appropriate classification of this periodontal disease.

[An index for untreated severe caries]. / Een index voor onbehandelde ernstige cariës.

Hardly any data are available on the clinical consequences of untreated severe caries, because there is no method to quantify the prevalence of oral conditions resulting from untreated caries. In the Philippines, an index was developed which records for (the location of) each tooth whether caries has reached the dental pulp, whether ulceration is present in the surrounding soft tissues due to sharp edges of fragments of a tooth lost due to caries, or whether a fistula or abscess is present. By adding the index to the existing Decayed Missing Filled Tooth index, insight is provided on the extent and the consequences of untreated caries and research may be carried out on its possible impact on the general health and wellbeing of national populations.

A composite index for determining the impact of oral ulcer activity in Behcet's disease and recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

BACKGROUND: Although number, frequency and healing time of oral ulcers and pain are generally used for clinical practice and studies in Behcet's disease (BD) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), no standardized activity index is currently present to monitor clinical manifestations associated with oral ulcers. The aim of this study was to develop a standardized composite index (CI) to assess oral ulcer activity in BD and RAS. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 121 patients with BD and 45 patients with RAS were included. Sixty-five percentage of BD and 68.9% of RAS patients were in active stage during the previous 3 months. The developed CI included the presence of oral ulcers, ulcer-related pain and functional status and was evaluated in patients with both active and inactive disease for content validity. RESULTS: Composite index score was observed to be higher in active patients with RAS (6.94 + or - 2.19) compared with active BD patients (6.01 + or - 2.04) (P = 0.04). The number of oral ulcers and healing time of oral ulcers were significantly higher in RAS compared with BD (P = 0.018, P = 0.001 respectively). CI score correlated with the number of oral ulcers in both BD and RAS (P = 0.000, P = 0.002 respectively). CI score was '0' for inactive patients without oral ulcer in BD and RAS. CONCLUSIONS: The presented CI as an oral ulcer activity index seems to be a reliable and suitable tool for evaluating the clinical impact and disease-specific problems in BD and RAS.

Long-standing oral ulcers: proposal for a new 'S-C-D classification system'.

Persistent oral ulcers and erosions can be the final common manifestation, sometimes clinically indistinguishable, of a diverse spectrum of conditions ranging from traumatic lesions, infectious diseases, systemic and local immune-mediated lesions up to neoplasms. The process of making correct diagnosis for persistent oral ulcers still represents a challenge to clinicians. Major diagnostic criteria should include the clinical appearance of both ulcer and surrounding non-ulcerated mucosa, together with the evaluation of associated signs and symptoms, such as: number (single or multiple), shape, severity of the ulcer(s), conditions of remaining mucosa (white, red or with vesiculo-bullous lesions) and systemic involvement (e.g. fever, lymphadenopathy or evaluation of haematological changes). The aim of this paper was to review the literature relating to persistent oral ulcers and provide a helpful, clinical-based diagnostic tool for recognising long-standing ulcers in clinical dental practice. The authors, therefore, suggest distinguishing simple, complex and destroying (S-C-D system) ulcerations, as each requires different diagnostic evaluations and management. This classification has arisen from studying the current English literature relating to this topic, performed using MEDLINE / PubMed / Ovid databases.

Oral lesions in lupus erythematosus: correlation with cutaneous lesions.

Oral lesions in the context of lupus erythematosus (LE) have long been described. However, definitive agreement on about the exact nature and correct classification of these manifestations is lacking in published studies. Controversy exists on the significance of oral LE lesions regarding patient outcome. In this article, medical and dental literature on clinical and histopathological aspects of oral LE lesions are reviewed and critically discussed. A clinico-pathological correlation of oral lesions (interface mucositis-lupus mucositis) with cutaneous lesions (interface dermatitis-lupus dermatitis) is established, for those represent the mucosal counterparts of cutaneous LE. Validity about widely used but imprecise terms such as "oral ulcers", "ulcerative plaques", and others, in the context of LE, is discussed, and the uncertain relationship of these alterations to systemic disease with a worse outcome is commented. Furthermore, insights about the nature, differential diagnosis, and prognosis of oral lesions in LE patients are presented.

Traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia of the oral mucosa: histological and immunohistochemical analysis of three cases.

Traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia is an ulcerated oral lesion which pathogenesis is still unclear. Clinically, this disease is characterized by the presence of chronic ulcerative lesions with elevated and indurated borders in the oral mucosa. It usually develops rapidly and persists for several weeks or months, it presents mainly on the tongue but other areas such as gingival, cheek and vestibular mucosa may also be involved. We report three cases showing their clinical, histological and immunohistochemical analysis. In this study the authors underline the importance of a correct differential diagnosis and monitoring of these patients in order to prevent the development of possible serious complications.

A randomized trial assessing the effectiveness of different concentrations of isotretinoin in the management of lichen planus.

The aim of our 10-year study was to test the effectiveness of topical therapy based on 0.18% isotretinoin, comparing it with that most frequently used, i.e. at 0.05% concentration. Seventy patients with an established diagnosis of oral lichen planus were involved in the study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, and the drug was administered topically at 0.05% and 0.18% concentrations. The drug at the higher concentration, according to the same protocol, was administered to the patients who did not benefit from the therapy at the lower concentration. None of the cases of reticular lichen planus showed clinical or histological improvement. In contrast, the atrophic-erosive forms showed a significant improvement, both clinical and histological: in 26 patients (at 0.18% concentration) and in nine patients (at 0.05% concentration), the symptoms, as well as the erosions or ulcers observed, disappeared. The disappearance of dysplasic phenomena was observed at 0.18% concentration. Topical application of the drug was accompanied by an increase in soreness and pain, as well as greater sensitivity to hot foods. However, these side effects were transitory, and considered acceptable by the patients. The proposed therapeutic protocol was effective towards highly active atrophic-erosive oral lichen planus with dysplasic phenomena, which is the form of the disease at higher risk of malignant evolution.

Validation of a French version of the Child-OIDP index.

The Child-OIDP index is an indicator of oral health-related quality of life, which has been validated among 12-yr-old children in Thailand. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability, validity, and applicability of this questionnaire among French children. After translation and cultural adaptation, the Child-OIDP was tested on 414 10-yr-old children in France. The children completed the Child-OIDP in face-to-face interviews, were clinically examined, and answered questions evaluating their global self-rated oral health. Parents filled in a questionnaire concerning their socio-demographic background. An oral impact on daily life was reported by 73% of the children. The mean Child-OIDP score was 6.32 [standard deviation (SD) 8.22] and the median was 3.33. The internal reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.57. The retest procedure (n = 62) showed a satisfactory reproducibility (r = 0.81, kappa = 0.75). The index was shown to be a valid instrument. Construct validity was satisfactory as the Child-OIDP score increased when the children's perceived oral health decreased. The Child-OIDP score was able to discriminate between different socio-demographic groupings and varied according to dental status. This study showed that the Child-OIDP is applicable for use among children in France. It has promising psychometric properties but further research is required to evaluate its sensitivity to change.

Úlceras orales / Oral ulcers

Las úlceras orales representan un proceso patológico frecuente de la cavidad bucal. En general, cursan con dolor como principal característica. Hay diferentes formas de clasificarlas, pero la más aceptada las divide en agudas, es decir, las de instauración brusca y corta duración, y crónicas, de instauración insidiosa y larga duración. Entre las principales úlceras orales de presentación aguda se encuentran las úlceras traumáticas, la estomatitis aftosa recurrente, las infecciones virales y bacterianas y la sialometaplasia necrosante. Dentro de los procesos que cursan con la aparición de úlceras orales crónicas se encuentran el liquen plano erosivo, el carcinoma oral de células escamosas, el penfigoide de las mucosas, el pénfigo vulgar y las úlceras orales asociadas con la ingesta de fármacos. La realización de un correcto diagnóstico diferencial es fundamental para poder establecer el protocolo terapéutico adecuado en cada c

Ulcers commonly occur in the oral cavity, their main symptom being pain. There are different ways to classify oral ulcers. The most widely accepted form divides them into acute ulcers ­sudden onset and short lasting­ and chronic ulcers ­insidious onset and long lasting­. Commonest acute oral ulcers include traumatic ulcer, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, viral and bacterial infections and necrotizing sialometaplasia. On the other hand, oral lichen planus, oral cancer, benign mucous membrane pemphigoid, pemphigus and drug-induced ulcers belong to the group of chronic oral ulcers. It is very important to make a proper differential diagnosis in order to establish the appropriate treatment for each pathology

Ulcerative and erosive lesions of the oral mucosa

A mucosal ulcer is a breach in the epithelial continuity that results in the exposure of underlying connective tissue to the external environment. Mucosal erosion, on the other hand, is a shallow depression resulting from the loss of a few layers of epithelial cells. In erosive lesions the connective tissue is not exposed to the external environment. In dental practice oral mucosal ulcers and erosions are commonly encountered. Most ulcerative and a few erosive lesions are symptomatic and patients seek consultation for relief from discomfort and pain. Oral ulceration and erosion can result from several causes which may operate at local or systemic levels. Diagnosis of oral ulcerative and erosive lesions is not easy. This is because of the fact that ulcers, in particular, may often look clinically similar regardless of the differences in their causative factors. Some ulcers may also possess malignant potential or frank malignant features at the time of patient's first visit (AU)

Ulcera eosinofílica de la lengua: reporte de un caso clínico / Eosinophilic ulcer of the tongue: report of a clinical case

El propósito de este trabajo es describir un caso clínico de úlcera eosinofílica de la lengua en una mujer de 71 años y hacer énfasis en sus características clínicas e histológicas, así como en el diagnóstico diferencial con carcinoma epidermoide, cuyo tratamiento y pronóstico es diferente. Otras entidades con las que puede confundirse incluyen: tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, chancro, infiltración leucémica, linfoma, etc. Se destaca la importancia de la biopsia y el establecimiento del diagnóstico correcto

Consensus guidelines on quantifying HIV-related oral mucosal disease.

The workshop agreed that the development of consensus quantification protocols was desirable, but that this whole field was underdeveloped, to date. The working goals were therefore redefined (vide infra). Three possible protocols were presented and discussed relating to oral hairy leukoplakia, oral ulceration (NOS) and oral candidiasis. There was agreement that different data-set protocols would have to be developed for specific HIV-related mucosal diseases. Furthermore, the data set should be consistent, standardized and disaggregated. In this way, with everyone working to the same standards of outcome, data from geographically, nationally, socially or culturally different areas could be readily compared. A future meeting to generate the disease-specific protocols would, most likely, be needed.