title: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
abstract: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common ulcerative disease affecting the oral mucosa. RAS occurs mostly in healthy individuals and has an atypical clinical presentation in immunocompromised individuals. The etiology of RAS is still unknown, but several local, systemic, immunologic, genetic, allergic, nutritional, and microbial factors, as well as immunosuppressive drugs, have been proposed as causative agents. Clinical management of RAS using topical and systemic therapies is based on severity of symptoms and the frequency, size, and number of lesions. The goals of therapy are to decrease pain and ulcer size, promote healing, and decrease the frequency of recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 40th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: akintoye@dental.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Sunday O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Akintoye
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 240 South 40th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Aphthous; Behçet disease; Crohn disease; Immunologic; Nutritional deficiency; Psychological stress; Systemic therapy; Topical therapy