Burning mouth syndrome: is acupuncture a therapeutic possibility?
BACKGROUND
Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic pathology of unknown ethiopathogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether acupuncture can produce a reduction of the burning sensation by influencing the oral microcirculation.


METHODS
Thirty patients (10 male and 20 female; mean age +/- SD = 65.4 +/- 2.17) and 30 healthy subjects (10 male and 20 female; mean age +/- SD = 62.06 +/- 6.72) were recruited for the study. The patients were treated with acupunctural techniques based on traditional Chinese medicine. Microcirculation was observed in vivo using videocapillaroscopy at three different times: t(0)) in the absence of acupuncture; t(1)) 1 minute after the insertion of the needles; and t(2)) 5 minutes after the insertion of the needles and following their stimulation.


RESULTS
The capillaroscopic observation revealed a significant increase of the capillary tortuousness and density, a reduction of the arborescence and a reduction of burning sensation in such patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that acupuncture influences oral microcirculation, resulting in a significant variation of the vascular pattern to which is associated a significant reduction of the burning sensation after three weeks of therapy. Such reduction of the burning sensation has been permanent for the 18 months following the acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture appears a valid therapeutic choice in the management of such patients.
Scardina
G A
GA
University of Palermo, Italy. scardina@odonto.unipa.it
Ruggieri
A
A
Provenzano
F
F
Messina
P
P
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000368:Aged; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D002196:Capillaries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply*; D014059:Tongue / Q000098:blood supply