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Objective: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic conditions primarily affecting the intestines. This study aims to identify the nature and frequency of oral symptoms and signs in patients with ulcerative colitis and to explore the connection between these complications and the activity of the disease., Methods: This descriptive-analytical study involved ulcerative colitis patients who visited the gastroenterology clinic at Shahid Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Gorgan, along with an equal number of healthy companions as a control group in 2019. A gastroenterology internist assessed the disease severity through clinical examination and a simple clinical disease activity index for colitis patients. The collected data were then analyzed statistically using SPSS version 19., Results: The average age of patients in the case group was 41.84 ± 11.66 years, while in the control group it was 40.43 ± 12.67 years. There was a significant correlation between difficulty swallowing, burning sensation in the mouth, vomiting, acidic taste, the presence of oral ulcers, and a coated tongue with the severity of disease activity (p < 0.05). However, no significant relationship was found between other variables and the severity of disease activity (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: The results of this study confirm that as the severity of ulcerative colitis increases, the occurrence of oral lesions also rises, particularly during severe disease activity. Among oral symptoms, dry mouth had the highest incidence, followed by bad breath and changes in taste. The most common oral lesions observed were a coated tongue, grooved tongue, and oral ulcers, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Oral complications such as parageusia, xerostomia, and oral ulcers are frequently observed in patients with COVID-19. The aim of this study was to understand the oral complications and their influencing factors during the two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in China between December 2022 and May 2023., Methods: A total of 347 patients during the COVID-19 pandemic from December 2022 and January 2023 and 163 patients during the second COVID-19 pandemic were recruited through the Disease Prevention and Control Reporting System. Data on oral complications were collected via researcher-made questionnaires., Results: During both pandemic periods, more than 50% of the subjects developed oral complications. Specifically, the incidence of parageusia, pathological tongue coating, and xerostomia all exceeded 20%, while the incidence of oral ulcers surpassed 7%. Patients with allotriosmia and xerostomia had a significantly higher likelihood of developing other oral complications. Hospitalized patients requiring supplemental oxygen had a significantly higher incidence of oral complications., Conclusions: The results of our study underline that oral complications during the COVID-19 pandemic are prevalent, and their incidence has not decreased during the subsequent pandemic. In the context of the ongoing global spread of COVID-19, this study lays the foundation for physicians in recognizing and managing oral complications, which will improve the oral health of communities globally., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is the leading cause of death among systemic mycoses in Brazil. On the other hand, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm of the mouth. Both lesions rarely affect the tongue dorsum and may share similar clinical characteristics. This study aimed to retrieve cases of single oral ulcers diagnosed as PCM or OSCC., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted. All patients who had a single ulcer on dorsum of the tongue and confirmed diagnosis of PCM or OSCC were evaluated., Results: A total of 9 patients (5 women and 4 men) were evaluated, 5 patients had OSCCs (mean age = 69,8 years old), and 4 patients PCM (mean age = 51 years old). Most of the lesions were infiltrated and indurated in the palpation exam. Duration ranged from 1 to 12 months (mean time of 5.2 months and 4.7 months for OSCC and PCM, respectively). OSCC was the main clinical diagnosis hypothesis., Conclusions: Although uncommon, PCM and OSCC should be considered as a diferential diagnosis hypothesis in infiltrated ulcers on the tongue dorsum. Iincisional biopsy is mandatory to confirm the diagnosis and indicate the appropriate treatment.

Abstract: Chronic nonhealing ulcers of the oral mucosa and lateral tongue, in particular, can transform into invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Sometimes these ulcers do not heal even after the removal of the etiological agent that actually initiated these lesions, something similar to what happens in "neoplasia." Numerous factors have been postulated in the literature; however, the exact mechanism remains unclear. We hereby would suggest few plausible factors that could be considered for future studies to shed light on some untapped territories in the pathogenesis of OSCC arising from chronic nonhealing traumatic ulcers in purview of chromoanagenesis and the concepts of "quantum entanglement and coherence.", (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology.)

Background: Oral traumatic ulcerative lesions (OTUL) are commonly encountered in clinical practice, yet there is limited research on their clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the age, gender, clinical characteristics, and traumatic etiological factors in a large cohort of patients with OTUL and provide valuable insights for dental clinicians to optimize patient care and prevention strategies., Methods: A total of 1543 patients with OTUL were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, medical history, clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significance of age and gender as factors related to OTUL., Results: The study revealed significant variations in clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors among different age groups and between genders. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both age and gender were significant factors related to OTUL., Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of OTUL and traumatic etiological factors appear to be significantly different according to age and gender. More targeted prevention strategies should be implemented for all age and gender groups., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The aim of the study was to analyse the effects of Treatment Response with oral ulcers on oral health related quality of life in Behçet's syndrome (BS)., Material and Methods: In the cross-sectional study, 339 BS patients (F/M: 179/160, mean age: 36,13±9,81 years) were included. Data were collected by clinical examinations and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) regarding Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire and self-reported Treatment Responses coded by a 5-point Likert-type scale (1: symptoms were cured- 5: symptoms were worsened). Moderated Mediation analysis (MA) was used to understand how oral ulcer activity (independent variable; X) influenced OHIP-14 score (outcome variables, Y) through self-reported Treatment Response (M1) and age (M2) as possible mediator variables (M) and disease course (mucocutaneous and musculuskeletal involvement vs. major organ involvement) as a possible moderator variable (W) on these relationships., Results: In Moderated MA, OHIP-14 score (Y) was mediated by the presence of oral ulcer (X) (p=0.0000), the negative Treatment Response (M1) (p=0.0001) and being young (M2) (p=0.0053) with mucocutaneous involvement (W)(p=0.0039)., Conclusions: Self-reported Treatment Response as an underestimated issue has a Mediator role in relation to oral ulceration on oral health related quality of life in the framework of patient empowerment strategies. Therefore, study results give clues to assist physicians and dentists for better understanding of patients' perspective.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a chronic autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disease. Autoantibodies are directed against desmogleins, leading to the formation of intraepithelial bullae. PV, as with other autoimmune mucocutaneous disorders of the oral cavity, presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Approximately 50-70% of cases present first with oral lesions. The lesions commonly start as vesicles or bullae that rapidly rupture, leading to erosions and ulcerations. The palatal, gingival, buccal, and labial mucosa are the most commonly affected sites. Oral PV can mimic several other diseases that cause mucosal erosions and/or ulcerations, including erythema multiforme (EM). EM is an acute, immune-mediated, self-limited hypersensitivity condition primarily associated with herpes simplex infection. Oral lesions can be variable, but a very characteristic presentation with labial hemorrhagic erosions, ulcerations and crusting is commonly seen. In this case series, we present six cases of PV: one male patient and five female patients whose ages ranged from 34 to 65 years old. All patients presented with hemorrhage and crusting of the lips in addition to multiple intraoral erosions and ulcerations. Three patients presented with oral and skin lesions. All patients underwent biopsies, and a diagnosis of PV was confirmed. All patients were treated with steroids (topical and systemic) and variable steroid-sparing agents. This case series emphasizes that oral PV may be misdiagnosed as EM in a subgroup of patients who present with persistent lip hemorrhage and crusting. Therefore, a comprehensive history, clinical examination and incisional biopsies should be considered in such patients., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Rationale: Behçet's disease (BD) is an autoimmune disease presented with recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, uveitis and skin lesions. The cutaneous manifestations are often refractory and more resistant to conventional therapy. This report provides a new treatment of low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) with refractory BD patient., Patient Concerns: A 37-year-old female patient experienced oral ulcer and erythema nodosum on the right leg for over 12 months and resisted to Methylprednisolone and Thalidomide., Diagnoses: The patient suffered from recurrent painful oral ulceration and an erythema nodosum. Pathergy test is also positive. Thus, we diagnosed her as BD according to the International Criteria for Behçet's Disease (ICBD)., Interventions: The patient took Methylprednisolone 8 mg qd, Thalidomide 50 mg qn and Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg bid successively as treatment. However, the medicine didn't take effect. Finally, this patient was given low-dose IL-2 intramuscular injection qod for 3 months., Outcomes: Oral ulcers and the erythema disappeared and the patient has been symptom-free for 6 months., Lessons: low-dose IL-2 is a safe and effective treatment for refractory BD., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disease clinically presenting as vesicles, bullae, and erosion and histologically characterized by suprabasal split and acantholysis. It usually affects mucous membranes and skin. Recurrent oral ulcers can only be the clinical manifestation before progressing into skin lesions. This can lead to the delayed diagnosis of this disease. Here we report a case of pemphigus vulgaris which was diagnosed after years of suffering from an oral ulcer that eventually progressed to widespread skin blistering and ulceration. The patient was treated with oral prednisolone which showed improvement within a week. Physicians should consider the differential diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris in patients presenting with a recurrent oral ulcer., Keywords: delayed diagnosis; oral ulcer; pemphigus vulgaris.

The complexity of oral ulcerations poses considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to oral specialists. The expert consensus was conducted to summarize the diagnostic work-up for difficult and complicated oral ulcers, based on factors such as detailed clinical medical history inquiry, histopathological examination, and ulceration-related systemic diseases screening. Not only it can provide a standardized procedure of oral ulceration, but also it can improve the diagnostic efficiency, in order to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Familiarity with common oral conditions allows clinicians to observe and treat patients in the primary care setting or refer to a dentist, oral surgeon, otolaryngologist, or other specialist. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (canker sores) is the most common ulcerative condition of the oral cavity. Recurrent herpes simplex labialis and stomatitis also commonly cause oral ulcers. Corticosteroids, immunocompromise, antibiotics, and dentures can predispose patients to oral candidiasis. Benign migratory glossitis (geographic tongue) occurs in up to 3% of the population but generally lacks symptoms, although some people experience food sensitivity or a burning sensation. Hairy tongue is associated with a low fiber diet, tobacco and alcohol use, and poor oral hygiene in older male patients. Generally, hairy tongue is asymptomatic except for an unattractive appearance or halitosis. Tobacco and alcohol use can cause mucosal changes resulting in leukoplakia and erythroplakia. These can represent precancerous changes and increase the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Mandibular and maxillary tori are common bony cortical outgrowths that require no treatment in the absence of repeat trauma from chewing or interference with dentures. Oral lichen planus occurs in up to 2% of individuals and can present as lacy reticulations or oral erosions and ulcerations. Traumatic buccal mucosal fibromas and labial mucoceles from biting can be excised.

Oral mucositis (OM) is a common, highly symptomatic complication of cancer therapy that affects patients' function, quality of life, and ability to tolerate treatment. In certain patients with cancer, OM is associated with increased mortality. Research on the management of OM is ongoing. Oral mucosal toxicities are also reported in targeted and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. The objective of this article is to present current knowledge about the epidemiology, pathogenesis, assessment, risk prediction, and current and developing intervention strategies for OM and other ulcerative mucosal toxicities caused by both conventional and evolving forms of cancer therapy., (© 2021 The Authors. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Cancer Society.)

Background: Little is known about the real-time cause-effect relations between IL-6 concentrations and SLE symptoms., Methods: A 52-year-old woman with mild SLE activity collected her entire urine for the determination of IL-6/creatinine and protein/creatinine levels (ELISA, HPLC) for a period of 56 days in 12 h intervals (total: 112 measurements). Additionally, she answered questionnaires (VAS) on oral ulceration, facial rash, joint pain, fatigue and tiredness and measured her temperature orally twice a day. Time-series analyses consisted of ARIMA modeling and cross-correlational analyses (one lag = 12 h, significance level = p < 0.05)., Results: Statistical analyses showed that increased urinary IL-6 concentrations preceded increased urinary protein levels by 36-48 h (lag3: r=+.225; p =.017) and that, in the opposite direction of effect, increased urinary protein preceded urinary IL-6 decreases by 12-24 h (lag1: r=-.322; p <.001). Moreover, urinary IL-6 increases co-occurred with increased oral ulceration (lag0: r=+.186; p =.049); after 48-60 h, however, IL-6 increases showed a strong tendency to precede oral ulceration decreases (lag4: r=-.170; p =.072). Increases in facial rash preceded decreases in urinary IL-6 after 84-96 h (lag7: r=-.215; p =.023). As to fatigue, increases in urinary IL-6 co-occurred with decreased fatigue (lag0: r=-.193; p =.042); after 84-96 h, however, IL-6 increases preceded fatigue increases (+lag7: r =+.189; p =.046). Finally, joint pain, tiredness and body temperature did not significantly correlate with urinary IL-6 concentrations in either direction of effect., Conclusions: The results of this evaluation point to real-life feedback mechanisms between immune activity and SLE symptoms. Comparison with a previous evaluation of this patient suggests a counterregulatory mechanism between Th1 activity and IL-6. These findings are preliminary and require replication to draw firm conclusions about the real-time relation between IL-6 and SLE disease activity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Schubert, Seizer, Chamson, König, Sepp, Ocaña-Peinado, Schnapka-Köpf and Fuchs.)

Ulceration of the oral cavity is common and a frequent reason for referral to secondary and tertiary centres. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related mucocutaneous ulceration, however, is a rare cause of oral ulceration that has been described only recently. Histologically these lesions resemble lymphomas; however, their management and prognosis differ significantly. We present a case of EBV-induced oral ulceration and discuss the diagnosis and management of and available literature for the condition, which was treated successfully through conservative measures alone.

Background: Nutritional deficiencies are common worldwide and is most notable in low and middle income countries. In the early weeks of September 2018, oral sores mostly affecting the tongue were reported in three central schools under Tsirang district, Bhutan. A total of 204 students were affected in the three central schools. All the affected students have been assessed on the outbreak and nutritional survey was conducted in the three schools., Methods: A total of 204 students who complained of different oral lesions in the affected three schools were screened by the dental surgeon for clinical assessment and administered questionnaire for nutritional assessment by the nutritionist. Twenty-one students randomly selected were sent for blood tests for micronutrient assays and complete blood count. 41 students were tested for Exfoliative cell cytology to test for fungal elements. The collected data was double entered and validated using Epi-Data version 3.1 and analysed using Stata 15 IC. The characteristics of the participants are presented as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation (SD)., Results: Almost all the affected students in all the three schools had complaints of Burning Sensation (n = 158) followed by Pain (n = 153), Impaired Taste Sensation (n = 100) and Intolerance to Spicy Food (n = 95). Nutritional assessment analysis suggested schools not meeting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for all components of Vitamin B complexes and Iron., Conclusion: Clinical assessments and nutritional survey analysis found inadequate vitamin rich dietary intakes among all the three schools. Implementation of a strict school feeding program with a balanced diet has been suggested accordingly., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome (SWS) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder, causing dysautonomia and multisystem failure. Symptoms include skeletal malformations, restricted joint mobility and desensitisation to pain. Patients with SWS presenting with intraoral lesions are extremely rare and this is probably due to their shortened lifespan. We present a case of a 9-month-old patient who presented to our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS)Unit with a chronic inflamed ulcer affecting the tongue, secondary to trauma from erupting central incisors. We believe that depapillation in conjunction with an increased pain threshold contributed to its development. The patient was successfully treated by extraction of the lower central incisors and intralesional steroid injections under general anaesthetic. This case highlights that patients with SWS can present to the OMFS clinician with oral lesions and that they can be safely managed under general anaesthesia., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Oral and oropharyngeal cancer are significant health problems. They are both life-threatening conditions usually diagnosed at an advanced stage causing survival rates to decline., Aim: To assess and compare practices, knowledge and attitude regarding oral and oropharyngeal cancer between dental and medical practitioners., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of oral and oropharyngeal cancer among dental and medical practitioners at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 360 participants were included in the study using a convenient sampling technique. Participants were approached in their clinics and printed self-administered questionnaire were handed over to them after signing a written consent form. Frequency distribution and Chi-Square test were used for the statistical analysis and the level of significance was set at P value of .05 or less., Results: A total of 174 participants responded. Assessment of oral and oropharyngeal cancer knowledge between dental practitioners and medical practitioners showed comparable results. Regarding practices, a significant difference was seen between medical practitioners and dental practitioners in determining the duration of intra-oral ulcer to consider urgent referral (P = .006) and in number of referrals made in relation to suspicious oral lesions (P = .002). Moreover, a significant difference (P = .006) was seen between medical practitioners and dental practitioners in determining the duration of intra-oral ulcer to consider urgent referral., Conclusion: Medical and dental practitioners showed areas of differences in practice, attitude and knowledge of oral and oropharyngeal cancer that when addressed would lead to improved survival rates., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The prevalence of oral ulcers in children is reported to be 9%, however diagnosis of oral lesions can be challenging, being an unspecific symptom of several diseases. Differential diagnosis can range from classic infectious disease of childhood (e.g. herpangina, hand-foot-and-mouth-disease) over nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinal disorders, inflammations (e.g. pemphigus vulgaris, lichen planus, mucous membrane pemphigoid) to side effects of medications (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome) or chronic dieseases (e.g. sarcoidosis, systemic Lupus erythematodes, familial Mediterrenean fever). Therefore, children with oral ulcers are treated by many different specialists such as dentists, family doctors, paediatricians, rheumatologists, haematologists, gastroenterologists and otorhinolaryngologists.A systematic literature search and a narrative literature review about the potential 48 diseases connected to oral ulcers were performed. According to the duration of symptoms and size of the lesions, a tabular overview was created to support the clinician in making a correct diagnosis, additionally different treatment options are presented.

Background: Chikungunya fever is considered an abrupt onset arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The disease has a significant impact on the quality of life of affected persons, and many of its numerous symptoms have not yet been properly clarified, such as the manifestations that can occur in the oral cavity. The aim of this study was to identify the main oral manifestations related to chikungunya fever, as well as describe the demographic characteristics of patients, by conducting a systematic review of the literature., Methods and Findings: Searches were performed in MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Elsevier), LILACS (VHL), Cochrane Library, Scopus, and CAPES electronic databases for theses and dissertations published up to January 16, 2021 without language and date restrictions. Additional manual searches of gray literature, reference list, and Google Scholar were carried out. We included 27 studies highlighting mainly oral manifestations that cause masticatory discomfort such as ulcers and oral thrush, gingival bleeding, pain and burning of the oral mucous membranes, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthralgia, opportunistic infections, and changes in taste., Conclusions: There seems to be a predominance of oral manifestations that cause discomfort when chewing, such as ulcerations in the acute phase of the disease, with complete remission within 3 to 10 days after the onset, apparently mostly affecting women and older persons. These oral manifestations can be compatible with basic viral infections related to inflammatory response and transitory immunosuppression., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: the prevalence of denture related mucosa lesions (DRML) varies across different countries and a recent study reported an increasing trend in its prevalence. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of DRML and factors related to the lesions among denture wearers seen in a Nigerian teaching hospital., Methods: interviewer's administered questionnaire was used to obtain information from consecutive patients that had used removable denture for at least six months and consented to participate. Data related to gender, age, types of denture and presence of denture induced oral lesions were obtained, entered into a computer and analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 20. Descriptive statistics were expressed as frequency and percentages. Fisher's exact test was performed for discrete variables. A P-value less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant., Results: a total of 104 respondents participated in the study and 14 had DRML giving a prevalence of 13.5%. The majority, 11 out of the 14 (78.57%) presented with mucosa ulceration, while 8 (57.14%) out of the 14 cases of DRML were caused by over extension of the denture flanges. There was no statistically significant relationship between daily removal of denture fore going to bed to sleep at night and DRML (p=0.776)., Conclusion: the prevalence of denture related mucosal lesion was 13.3% and the major cause was over extension of denture flange. There is need to emphasize adherence to review appointments for early detection and correction of denture instability and over extension of denture flange to prevent DRML., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Tunde Joshua Ogunrinde et al.)

A 23-year-old woman with autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome complicated by recurrent pneumonia and sinusitis presented with 1 week of multiple painful oral ulcers unresponsive to empiric antiviral and antifungal treatment. Her ulcers progressively worsened and she required hospitalisation for intravenous hydration and pain control. PCR swab of an ulcer was positive for varicella-zoster virus. Her symptoms never fully resolved despite antiviral therapy, and within 2 weeks, she relapsed with new and worsening ulcers. Biopsy revealed chronic active inflammation with no evidence of viral inclusion bodies or fungal hyphae. She was diagnosed with recurrent aphthous stomatitis and referred to a local dentist for CO 2 laser treatments with rapid resolution of her symptoms. This case highlights the broad differential for recurrent oral ulcers in people with a primary immunodeficiency. It also raises awareness of the benefits of laser therapy for aphthous stomatitis treatment and the importance of partnering with our colleagues in dentistry., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aim: To evaluate and compare salivary and serum levels of Alkaline Phosphates and Lactate Dehydrogenase in patients without the habit of tobacco, in patients with the habit of tobacco, in patients with benign oral lesions and in patients with oral premalignant lesions and oral malignant lesions., Material and Methodology: This study was comprised of 500 subjects, Group I: 100 healthy individuals without the habit of tobacco usage formed the control group. Group II: 100 patients with the habit of tobacco/ smoking consumption without any oral lesion. Group III: 100 patients with benign oral lesions. Group IV: 100 patients having the history of tobacco consumption and having apparent precancerous lesions like leukoplakia, erythroplakia. Group V:100  patients having frank oral cancer. The grade of dysplasia in these patients was statically correlated with the levels of serum and salivary ALP and LDH., Results: This study revealed that there was high expression of both serum and salivary ALP and LDH  in group IV and Group V as compared with the other groups and mean difference showed a statistically significant p value of less than 0.01. This study revealed that the in group V, the highest level of serum and salivary ALP was found in those patients who were reported with poorly differentiated oral cancer., Conclusion: Both Alkaline phosphates and Lactate dehydrogenase could be considered a sensitive markers for the detection of dysplasia with already existing precancancerous and cancerous lesions.

Background: High incidence of treatable oral conditions has been reported among palliative patients. However, a large proportion of palliative patients lose their ability to communicate their sufferings. Therefore, it may lead to under-reporting of oral conditions among these patients. This review systematically synthesized the published evidence on the presence of oral conditions among palliative patients, the impact, management, and challenges in treating these conditions., Methods: An integrative review was undertaken with defined search strategy from five databases and manual search through key journals and reference list. Studies which focused on oral conditions of palliative patients and published between years 2000 to 2017 were included., Results: Xerostomia, oral candidiasis and dysphagia were the three most common oral conditions among palliative patients, followed by mucositis, orofacial pain, taste change and ulceration. We also found social and functional impact of having certain oral conditions among these patients. In terms of management, complementary therapies such as acupuncture has been used but not well explored. The lack of knowledge among healthcare providers also posed as a challenge in treating oral conditions among palliative patients., Conclusions: This review is first in its kind to systematically synthesize the published evidence regarding the impact, management and challenges in managing oral conditions among palliative patients. Although there is still lack of study investigating palliative oral care among specific group of patients such as patients with dementia, geriatric or pediatric advanced cancer patients, this review has however provided baseline knowledge that may guide health care professionals in palliative settings.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of apremilast in treating oral ulcers (OUs), the cardinal and high-disabling feature of Behçet's disease (BD)., Methods: Twelve consecutive patients affected by BD with recurrent/relapsing OUs resistant and/or intolerant to conventional therapy were enrolled and prospectively followed. The primary endpoint was the number of OUs at week 12. Secondary endpoints were modification from baseline to week 12 in Behçet's Syndrome Activity Score (BSAS), Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) score, Behçet's Disease Quality of Life (BDQOL) scale and pain of OUs, as measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS). All adverse events (AEs) were recorded during follow-up. Non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon rank test) were used and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: After 12 weeks of apremilast, there was a significant reduction in the number of OUs [0.58 (s.d. 0.67) vs 3.33 (s.d. 1.45) at baseline, P = 0.02] that was paralleled by improvement in disease activity: BSAS was 16.8 (s.d. 9.1) [from 45.9 (s.d. 19.6) at baseline] (P = 0.02), BDCAF score was 0.72 (s.d. 0.65) [vs 2.45 (s.d. 1.0) at baseline] (P = 0.04) and the VAS score for pain decreased to 23.3 (s.d. 13.7) [vs 67.9 (s.d. 17.2) at baseline] (P = 0.02). Consistently, an improvement of BDQOL was assessed (P = 0.02). Clinical improvement led to complete steroid discontinuation in six patients and a tapering of the prednisone dose in two patients (P = 0.016). Colchicine was discontinued in six of nine patients (P = 0.031). AEs related to apremilast occurred in four patients (mainly due to gastrointestinal AEs), leading to drug discontinuation in all of them., Conclusion: Our preliminary real-world data support the use of apremilast as an effective therapeutic strategy against BD-related recurrent OUs resistant or intolerant to first-line therapy., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Sarcoidosis is a chronic, multisystemic, granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology characterised by the formation of non-caseating granuloma. It shows slight female predominance and has a bimodal age distribution. Lungs, skin, eye and liver are commonly affected. The oral lesion, though uncommon, may present as submucosal nodule, papule or superficial ulceration. Occasionally, oral lesion may be the first manifestation of underlying systemic disease. This case is interesting because it emphasises that dental practitioners may play a key role in early recognition of the clinical presentation of this multifaceted disease, and thereby aid in the diagnosis of the systemic condition. The present report deals with a case of sarcoidosis affecting the buccal mucosa in a 48-year-old woman. The patient was treated with oral prednisolone and within 4 months of corticosteroid therapy, the oral lesion regressed with no recurrence or new lesion noted over a period of 1 year., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophilia (TUGSE) is a rare self-limiting condition of the oral mucosa. The lesion manifests as an isolated ulcer that can be either asymptomatic or associated with mild to severe pain, and in most cases, it affects the tongue. TUGSE lesions may mimic malignancy such as squamous cell carcinoma, CD30 positive lymphoproliferative disorder, or infectious diseases such as primary syphilis, tuberculosis, or Epstein-Barr virus mucocutaneous ulcer. Histologically dominating cells are lymphocytes, histiocytes, and eosinophils., Case Presentation: We describe a TUGSE case of a patient with a solitary ulcer on the lower left retromolar buccal plane. Upon presentation, the patient reported a swelling on the buccal mucosa of the left lower jaw since 1 year with rapid growth over the last days and mild pain while chewing. The diameter of the intraoral lesion on the lower left retromolar buccal plane was approximately 4 × 3 cm; the lesion presented as indurated base with a central superficial ulceration of 2 × 1 cm, indicative for a malignant process. Histologically, the ulceration showed an expanding, infiltrative, and vaguely granulomatous morphology, involving the superficial mucosa and the fatty tissue, and extended between the deep striated muscle fibers. The lesion was rich in lymphocytes, histiocytes, and eosionophils intermingled with activated T-blasts without phenotypic abnormalities. TUGSE was then diagnosed based on the phenotype (especially the lacking expression of CD30, the retained T-cell phenotype, and the absence of Epstein-Barr virus), the clinical presentation, and the morphology. Twenty-six months after diagnosis, no recurrence of the ulceration was seen., Conclusions: As TUGSE may mimic malignancy or infectious diseases, biopsy is mandatory and should be combined with thorough clinical examination. A screening for infectious diseases (mainly syphilis, Epstein-Barr virus, and HIV infections) must be performed routinely. In most cases, the lesions resolve spontaneously, obviating the need of further actions other than clinical follow-up. The pathogenesis of TUGSE lesions is still under debate, although local traumatic events and a locotypic immune response have been suggested to be major contributing factors.

Several epidemiologic studies report on the prevalence of Behçet's syndrome (BS) and demographic and clinical findings in patients from different countries and ethnicities. Although these studies point out geographic differences in disease course, methodologic differences make it difficult to compare the results of these studies. Recent data suggest that neutrophil extracellular trap levels are elevated in patients with BS, and that it may be a potential therapeutic target for the reduction or prevention of BS-associated thrombotic risk. Details on the mode of functioning of ERAP have been delineated and further epigenetic data reported. Wall thickness of lower extremity veins is increased among BS patients without any apparent clinical involvement. Magnetic resonance (MR) venography and Doppler ultrasonography (USG) were comparable in the diagnosis of chronic deep vein thrombosis, while MR venography is more effective in detecting collateral formations. Results were also collected on some dietary and non-dietary factors in triggering oral ulcers, while smoking seems to have a protective role. With regards to the therapy, it has been demonstrated that endovascular interventions carry the risk of inducing pathergy phenomenon. Apremilast has been convincingly shown to be useful for oral ulcers of BS and classical immunosuppressives are effective as first line therapy in more than half of patients with uveitis. While infliximab and adalimumab seem to be equally effective in the treatment of refractory uveitis of BS, the combination of adalimumab and immunosuppressives appears to be superior to immunosuppressives alone for venous thrombosis of the extremities. In addition, tocilizumab might be an alternative to anti-TNF agents for patients with arterial involvement refractory to immunosuppressives. On the other hand, the place of IL-17 inhibition in the treatment of BS still remains questionable.

Background: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection of the spirochete, Treponema pallidum. While primary syphilis often involves genitalia, oral manifestations are observed in a subset of patients. These lesions are often associated with submandibular and cervical lymphadenopathy. This is a case report of a primary syphilitic lesion located on the hard palate of the oral cavity, with only a very few cases described previously., Case Presentation: We describe a rare case of syphilis in a 59-year-old African American man presenting with subjective fevers, chills, marked submental lymphadenopathy, a diffuse skin rash, and an ulcer of the hard palate., Conclusions: This case report demonstrates the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for syphilitic infection when a patient presents with nonspecific symptoms, a diffuse rash, and an oral lesion.

Gingival pathology is a daily presentation, however a small number of systemic conditions can manifest similar to a common gingival condition and have fatal results. Dentist referred 56-year-old woman to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department with a 2-week medical history of gingival bleeding not responding to local measures. Biopsy showed eosinophilic infiltrate and vasculitis, and blood tests showed positive markers including cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibodies. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare disease affecting the respiratory tract, blood vessels and kidneys. Oral lesions are rarely the primary presenting feature. When left untreated, most cases are fatal within a year of diagnosis. The diagnosis can only be made when certain criteria are found, including granular oral lesions exhibiting an eosinophilic inflammatory infiltrate on biopsy. With 5% of cases showing intraoral lesions as the primary feature, it is essential that dentists have the knowledge of this rare disease to refer and not to treat as a common gingival condition., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

A multitude of disease processes ranging from periodontitis to malignancies can lead to formation of solitary ulcer on the palate. Hence solitary ulcers of palate can often be a challenging one to diagnose. We report an interesting case of a diffuse large B cell lymphoma of the maxillary sinus which perforated the palatal bone and presented clinically as a palatal ulcer. Initially the lesion manifested as a small ill-defined swelling in the posterior palatal slope in relation to 24and25 which were mobile and hence was erroneously diagnosed as chronic periodontal abscess. This paper is intended to stress the relevance of including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the differential diagnosis of solitary palatal ulcers as it may be often misdiagnosed as more common reactive or inflammatory lesions., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Behçet's disease is a chronic, relapsing, systemic inflammatory disease affecting the orogenital mucosa, eyes, joints, blood vessels, nervous system and intestines. The prevalence of neurological involvement varies geographically and can include psychiatric manifestations. Current evidence for a causal association between Behçet's disease and bipolar disorder is limited to a small number of case reports. We report a case of a patient with a recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder who was subsequently diagnosed with Behçet's disease. The 38-year-old male presented with a 6-month history of right eye visual blurring, 5-month history of mouth ulcers and 3 months of genital ulceration. His inflammatory markers were raised. An MRI of the brain was conducted in the absence of any focal neurological signs or symptoms owing to his past psychiatric history. The MRI showed changes in the medial aspect of the right temporal lobe highly suspicious of neuro-Behçet's disease. His inpatient care was coordinated with neurology, rheumatology, ophthalmology and psychiatry teams, and he was later discharged with outpatient follow up owing to a clinical improvement on high-dose steroids. This case shows that, although widely unrecognised, neuro-Behçet's can occur in the absence of focal neurology. Additionally, neuro-Behçet's should be considered in patients with bipolar disorder presenting with symptoms suggestive of Behçet's disease. The case emphasises how patients presenting with ulceration, mood disorder and visual changes should not have these symptoms considered in isolation and multisystem disease should be considered. Furthermore, the coordinated multidisciplinary approach required for the care of patients with Behçet's disease is demonstrated., Competing Interests: No conflict of interests declared

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease that affects the axial skeleton and the sacroiliac joints. Recent studies investigated the link between AS and oral diseases, particularly periodontitis. Others suggested that periodontitis may have a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases., Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between AS and oral conditions., Material and Methods: This research was conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under Application Number 26307. The UK Biobank recruited around 500000 participants throughout Great Britain. Clinical records were available for 2734 participants. Two case-control studies were conducted based on whether AS was self-reported or clinically diagnosed. Oral conditions were identified using self-reported reports of oral ulcers, painful gums, bleeding gums, loose teeth, toothache, and dentures. The association between AS and oral conditions was assessed using logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, educational level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and body mass index., Results: A total of 1307 cases and 491503 control participants were eligible for the self-reported AS study. The mean age was 58 years for the cases [7.5 standard deviation (SD)] and 57 years for the control groups (8.1 SD). Also, 37.1% of the cases and 54.2% of the control participants were females. Among the oral conditions, only oral ulcers were strongly associated with AS [1.57 adjusted odds ratio (OR); 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31 to 1.88]. For the study of clinically diagnosed AS, 153 cases and 490351 control participants were identified. The mean age for both cases and control groups was 57 years; 7.6 SD for the cases and 8.1 for the control group. Females corresponded to 26.1% of the cases, and 54.2% of the control participants. Clinically diagnosed AS was associated with self-reported oral ulcers (2.17 adjusted OR; 95% CI 1.33 to 3.53)., Conclusion: Self-reported and clinically diagnosed AS populations have increased risk of reporting oral ulcers. Further investigations are required to assess the link between a specific type of oral condition and AS.

Behçet syndrome is a chronic, recurring, systemic disorder characterized by the histopathologic finding of nonspecific vasculitis in multiple organs. Behçet syndrome involves the gastrointestinal tract in 10-50% of patients; The main sites of involvement are the terminal ileum and cecum. In patients with Behçet syndrome, CT is advocated for early detection of complications as well as for exclusion of other abdominal pathologic conditions but there is no specific exam. The report of histology in conjunction with the clinical history and the presence of oral ulcers, uveitis and suspected cutaneous lesions suggests the diagnosis. The optimal medical treatment of Behçet syndrome has not yet been well established. In rare cases surgery must be required to control the disease. The authors report one case of Behcet Syndrome presenting with intestinal perforation.

Background: Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a systemic disease characterized by large vessel involvement. Although the vascular characteristics of TAK are well characterized, there is no well-organized study demonstrating the extravascular manifestations of TAK. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of extravascular manifestations of TAK, and to identify the association between vascular and extravascular manifestations of TAK., Methods: TAK patients from two independent cohorts between January 2012 and October 2017 were included in the study. Patient characteristics were retrospectively collected from the electronic dataset. The computed tomography scans of all subjects were reviewed to evaluate the pattern of vascular involvement and presence of sacroiliitis. Clinical findings including uveitis, skin lesions, oral ulcers, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were reviewed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between vascular and extravascular manifestations., Results: For the 268 TAK patients, the mean age at diagnosis was 41.2 ± 14.2 years and 88.1% were female. The extravascular manifestation of TAK was observed in 19.0% of patients, the most common being arthritis including sacroiliitis (11.9%) followed by recurrent oral ulcers (8.6%) and IBD (2.6%). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed type IIB vascular involvement (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.956, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.337-6.537, p = 0.007) and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (adjusted OR 1.014, 95% CI 1.003-1.025, p = 0.012) as significantly associated with the presence of axial and peripheral arthritis., Conclusions: Extravascular manifestations of TAK were observed in up to one-fifth of patients. The most common extravascular manifestation was arthritis, which was associated with a type IIB vascular involvement pattern and a high ESR.

Objectives: To elucidate the clinico-laboratory characteristics associated with pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) patients with higher Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score in a retrospective cohort of pSLE patients., Methods: A retrospective study involving 32 pSLE patients was conducted at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia between 2006 and 2017., Results: Within the group of 32 pSLE patients, 23 were girls and 9 were boys (3:1 ratio). The most common symptom was renal disorder (n=21; 65.6%) followed by malar rash (n=9; 28.1%), oral ulcers (n=7; 21.9%), prolonged fever (n=5; 15.6%) and arthritis (n=4; 12.5%). Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected in all patients and 25 patients (78.1%) were positive for anti-double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibodies. Eighteen (56.3%) patients had active SLE (SLEDAI ≥6), and these patients were significantly associated with heavy pyuria (p=0.004), a high ANA concentration (1:160; p=0.040, 1:320; p=0.006), elevated ESR (p=0.006), low C3 levels (p=0.008), oral ulcers (p=0.010), heavy hematuria (p=0.017) and heavy proteinuria (p=0.017), lupus erythematosus (LE)-nonspecific lesion manifestations (p=0.019) and malar rash (p=0.044)., Conclusion: Pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus patients with higher SLEDAI score were most significantly associated with pyuria, high ANA titers, and elevated ESR.