title: Clinical assessment of disease severity in recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common oral mucosal diseases in many parts of the world. However, there is very limited published clinical evidence for the therapies used in this condition. This could be partly due to the difficulty in evaluating the efficacy of oral ulcer treatment objectively. In this paper, we present a method for assessing and monitoring the severity of oral ulcers before and after treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six ulcer characteristics, number, size, duration, ulcer-free period, site and pain, were used to generate an ulcer severity score (USS). The scores for 223 RAS patients were determined, and 79 were scored again after 3-month therapy with topical betamethasone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores for the minor RAS group were between 18 and 43 (mean 29.2 ± 5.3). The mean score in the major ulcers group (range: 28-60, mean 39.9 ± 6.1) was significantly greater than in the minor group (P < 0.001). The herpetiform recurrent ulcers score range was wide (range: 18-57, mean 36.6 ± 8.4). The mean severity score decreased significantly after treatment (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The USS was indicative of the disease activity in recurrent oral ulceration. It helped in assessing the efficacy of therapy, as the change in the numerical score reflected the change in ulcer severity in response to treatment. This tool may well prove to be of value in clinical management, research and in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anwar R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tappuni
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kovacevic
authors.forename: Penelope J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Shirlaw
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Challacombe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002610:Cheek / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008047:Lip Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000145:classification* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D013283:Stomatitis, Herpetic / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001623:Betamethasone
keywords: aphthous; disease severity; oral ulcers; stomatitis