Pain and pain-related interference associated with recurrent aphthous ulcers.
OBJECTIVE
(1) To use psychometrically sound measures to characterize the pain levels and pain-related interference associated with recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU); (2) to determine whether subjects with RAU report clinically significant psychologic symptoms; and (3) to examine the relationships between physical characteristics and self-reported psychologic symptoms, pain, and pain-related interference.


METHODS
Forty-seven subjects with RAU and an active ulcer completed the Graded Chronic Pain Scale and the Symptom Checklist-90R (SCL-90R). Ulcers were photographed for measurement, and subjects rated pain levels on a 0-to-l0 scale before and after swabbing of the ulcer with a saturated solution of sodium chloride and distilled water.


RESULTS
Mean characteristic pain intensity was 4.76, with a pain-related interference score of 1.21. None of the average SCL-90R subscale scores were considered elevated. In the model predicting pain intensity after swabbing, pain intensity before swabbing explained 43.6% of the variance (P = .000). Neither the addition of physical characteristics (R2 change = .04; P = .28) nor psychologic characteristics (R2 change = .09; P = .83) contributed significantly to the model. In contrast, only psychologic characteristics contributed to the variance explained in the model predicting pain-related interference (R2 change = .505; P = .007).


CONCLUSIONS
RAU is a moderately painful condition causing some impairment in functioning. Self-reported pain intensity of a sore does not appear to be influenced by psychologic characteristics. However, pain-related interference appears to be related to psychologic and not physical characteristics.
Sherman
Jeffrey J
JJ
Department of Oral Medicine, University of Washington School of Dentistry, Box 356370 Seattle, WA 98195, USA. jeffreys@uwashington.edu
Barach
Roland
R
Whitcomb
Kellie K
KK
Haley
Jeffrey
J
Martin
Michael D
MD
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*