title: Characterization of pain originating from oral mucosal lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to characterize pain associated with oral mucosal lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed in patients diagnosed with localized mucosal pain originating from acute ulcers (AUs), herpes infections (HIs), and immune-mediated chronic diseases (IMCDs). Pain-related features, including intensity (VAS-I), perceived unpleasantness (VAS-U), functional impairment (VAS-F), and effect on quality of life (VAS-Q), were recorded using a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Waking from sleep, provoking, and alleviating factors were assessed by questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three patients aged 19 to 82 years (47.22 ± 17.20 years) were examined over the study period. These included 18 patients with AUs, 21 with HIs, and 24 with IMCDs. At rest, VAS-U was significantly higher than VAS-I for all groups, and VAS-F was higher for lesions located on the tongue or lips. Up to 80% of patients described the pain as "burning." Differences between groups were not observed for all other parameters measured. Pain woke the patients from sleep in almost half of cases. VAS-I and VAS-U were not related to size or number of lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mucosal pain is generally burning in quality, with a higher level of pain-related unpleasantness than pain intensity. In about half of the cases, pain awakens the person from sleep, a feature that correlated to female gender and pain intensity. Pain intensity or unpleasantness was not related to the size or number of lesions.
authors: Department of Oral Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Ragda
authors: R
authors: Abdalla-Aslan
authors: Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Rutgers State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Benoliel
authors: Department of Oral Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Yair
authors: Y
authors: Sharav
authors: Department of Oral Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel. Electronic address: Rakefetc@hadassah.org.il.
authors: Rakefet
authors: R
authors: Czerninski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires