Significance of ferritin in recurrent oral ulceration.
BACKGROUND
Ferritin is the storage form of iron. Hence, the sensitive test which can be used for diagnosing iron deficiency anaemia is estimation of ferritin in serum. One of the causative factors of oral ulceration is nutritional deficiency, which includes iron also.


OBJECTIVE
To study the meaningful association between recurrent oral ulcer and ferritin.


METHODS
Fifty oral ulcer cases which were diagnosed clinically in the ENT Department of Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital and Twenty Five controls were included in this study. Serum ferritin was estimated by doing a particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay for both cases and controls.


RESULTS
66% of cases had decreased ferritin values and 34% had normal values, which was significant.


CONCLUSIONS
From this study, it can be concluded that it is mandatory to screen oral ulcer patients for iron deficiency anaemia by estimating serum ferritin and it is also advisable for the patients to have iron supplementation on regular basis, along with diet rich in iron in addition to vitamins.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital , Chennai, India.
Sumathi
S
K
Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital , Chennai, India .
Shanthi
S
B
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital , Chennai, India .
Subha
S
Palaneeswari M
H.O.D. and Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital , Chennai, India .
Manjula
M
Devi A J
Ferritin; Iron deficiency anaemia; Turbidimetric immunoassay