title: Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis in Childhood and Adolescence: A Single-Center Experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a common oral ulcerative condition in children. The objective was to describe the clinical features of RAS in children with accompanying clinical and laboratory findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 120 patients younger than 18 years of age (mean age 9.6 ± 4.3 years) with three or more oral aphthous ulcers per year between August 2008 and February 2014. Demographic characteristics of the patients, clinical features of the ulcers, and associated clinical and laboratory findings were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of aphthae per year was 12.8 ± 8.5 and the mean duration of the disease was 3.6 ± 2.9 years. Minor aphthae were the most common type (87%), papulopustules were the most common accompanying cutaneous lesions (13.3%), and family history of RAS was the most common associated factor (35.8%). Genital scarring (p = 0.04) and pathergy (p = 0.01) were significantly more common in the adolescent group. Pathergy was significantly related to genital scarring (p = 0.04) and Behçet's disease (p = 0.02). There was no association between the number of aphthae per year and the duration of the disease and hematologic and immunologic abnormalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study is consistent with previous reports in terms of clinical features of aphthous ulcers, related diseases, and family history of RAS, but no associated laboratory abnormalities were noted.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Asuman
authors: A
authors: Gürkan
authors: Department of Pediatric Nephrology and Rheumatology, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Sare Gülfem
authors: SG
authors: Özlü
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Pınar
authors: P
authors: Altıaylık-Özer
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Bengi Ece
authors: BE
authors: Kurtul
authors: Department of Child Health and Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Can Demir
authors: CD
authors: Karacan
authors: Department of Child Health and Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Saliha
authors: S
authors: Şenel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*