Burning mouth syndrome: a retrospective study investigating spontaneous remission and response to treatments.
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.


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.
Unit of Oral Pathology and Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. andrea.sardella@unimi.it
A
A
Sardella
G
G
Lodi
F
F
Demarosi
C
C
Bez
S
S
Cassano
A
A
Carrassi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012074:Remission Induction; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D002710:Chlorhexidine