Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Oral Vesiculoulcerative Conditions – A Retrospective Analysis

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively characterize the clinical and epidemiological features of vesiculoulcerative conditions by analyzing the dental charts (AXIUM) of 220 subjects attending the Oral Medicine clinic with confirmed clinical and histological (H&E and immunofluorescence) diagnosis with emphasis on potential associations with other medical conditions such as cancer, arthritis and hypothyroidism.
Methods: Demographic information including age and sex as well as clinical information regarding their medical status and medications were retrieved. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 24. Frequencies of clinical features (diagnosis, severity and location) and associated factors (sex, medical status and medications) were tabulated. Comparisons among categorical variables were based on the Pearson's chi-square test. Mixed-model logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate potential predictors of clinical diagnoses. Potential predictor variables were age, sex, location, severity, medical status and medications.
Results: Female predominance was demonstrated with 70% females and 30% males. Forty-six percent of patients had arthritis as a comorbid condition and 17.6% had a history of cancer. Lichen planus was the most common diagnosis (48.6%), followed by burning mouth syndrome (28.6%) and mucous membrane pemphigoid (22.7%). The gingiva was the most common location (20.5%) in patients diagnosed with vesiculoulcerative lesions, followed by buccal mucosa (18.2%) or the soft palate (15.5%). Significant predictors of the model include: gingiva (p< 0.01) and soft palate (p < 0.05) locations and cancer comorbidity (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: With this information, it is imperative that the oral care providers communicate with the primary care physician about the oral condition when a vesiculoulcerative diagnosis is established.