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Practical aspects of management of recurrent aphthous stomatitis
Author(s) -
Altenburg A,
AbdelNaser MB,
Seeber H,
Abdallah M,
Zouboulis CC
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2007.02393.x
Subject(s) - medicine , recurrent aphthous stomatitis , sucralfate , stomatitis , thalidomide , dermatology , azathioprine , dapsone , methotrexate , apremilast , psoriasis , pharmacology , surgery , gastroenterology , immunology , psoriatic arthritis , disease , multiple myeloma
Treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) remains, to date, empirical and non‐specific. The main goals of therapy are to minimize pain and functional disabilities as well as decrease inflammatory reactions and frequency of recurrences. Locally, symptomatically acting modalities are the standard treatment in simple cases of RAS. Examples include topical anaesthetics and analgesics, antiseptic and anti‐phlogistic preparations, topical steroids as cream, paste or lotions, antacids like sucralfate, chemically stable tetracycline suspension, medicated toothpaste containing the enzymes amyloglucosidase and glucoseoxidase in addition to the well‐known silver nitrate application. Dietary management supports the treatment. In more severe cases, topical therapies are again very useful in decreasing the healing time but fail to decrease the interval between attacks. Systemic immunomodulatory agents, like colchicine, pentoxifylline, prednisolone, dapsone, levamisol, thalidomide, azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclosporin A, interferon alpha and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists, are helpful in resistant cases of major RAS or aphthosis with systemic involvement.