Burning mouth syndrome

a retrospective study investigating spontaneous remission and response to treatments

Sardella, A
Lodi, G
Demarosi, F
Bez, C
Cassano, S
Carrassi, A

Unit of Oral Pathology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Correspondence: Prof. A Sardella, Istituto di Odontoiatria, Via Beldiletto 1, I – 20142 Milan, Italy. Tel: +39 02 5031 9019, Fax: +39 02 5031 9041, E-mail: [email protected]

Received 8 June 2005; accepted 9 June 2005

Oral Diseases 12(2):p 152-155, March 2006.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the spontaneous remission rate of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) in a group of subjects suffering from this syndrome.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The medical records of BMS patients attending the Unit of Oral Medicine (1995–2002) were reviewed. The patients with a follow-up period of at least 18 months were then contacted over phone and interviewed using a structured ad hoc questionnaire to record their current symptoms and data about their treatment responses to the therapies.

RESULTS

Forty-eight women and five men with a mean age of 67.7 years (range 33–82 years) were included in the study (mean duration of BMS 5.5 years, s.d. ±1.9 years, mean follow-up period of 56 months). As a consequence of different treatments, 26 patients (49.0%) reported no change in oral symptoms, 15 (28.3%) moderate improvement and 10 (18.9%) a worsening of oral complaints. Only two patients (3.7%) reported a complete spontaneous remission of oral symptoms without any treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, a complete spontaneous remission was observed in 3% of the patients within 5 years after the onset of BMS. A moderate improvement was obtained in <30% of the subjects.