Recurrent Apththous Ulcers

THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF MOUTH ULCERS
AFTER CARIES AND PERIODONTAL DISEASES RAS REPRESENTS THE MOST COMMON LESIONS IN ORAL CAVITY
FREQUENT IN RECURRENCE AS EVERY MONTH OR EVERY FEW MONTHS
INFREQUENT ONCE TO TWICE EVERY YEAR OR SEVERAL YEARS
SOMETIMES THERE IS NO ULCER FREE PERIOD
MAY BE DUE TO: QUITTING SMOKING, STRESS, FOOD ALLERGY, HORMONAL DISTURBANCE, GENETIC PREDISPOSITION
ASSOCIATED WITH SYNDROMES SUCH AS BEHCET'S DISEASE AND FAPA SYNDROME
AVOID SALIVEX!!!
TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDS ARE THE MAINSTAY OF THERAPY

*MAJOR RAU*	*MINOR RAU*	*HERPETIFORM RAU*
accounts for 25% of RAU	accounts for 50% of RAU	accounts for 25% of rau
regional lymphadenopathy, fever and illness in some cases	Prodromal features such as tingling and burning sensation	tiny pinhead size
large, oval (usually more than 1 cm)	ulcerative stage starts by erythematous are that blanches, followed by sloughing and ulceration which becomes very painful	may coalesce forming large irregular ulcer
deeper in connective tissue, minor salivary gland and facial muscle	heals within 1-2 weeks without scarring	mainly on non-keratinized mucosa
raised margins due to edema and erythematous	regular, erythematous and shallow	extremely painful interferes with speaking and eating
indurated base, and is found anywhere on both keratinized and non-keratinized mucosa	common on non-keratinized mucosa	differential diagnosis with recurrent intraoral herpes, but it isn't preceded by vesicles
healing within 4 months by scarring and cobblestone appearance may be seen	small in size and number
differential diagnosis with oral squamous cell carcinoma, so the dentist plays a key role in diagnosis