Abstract:

Aim: To determine the factors in the etiology of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and to evaluate patients in the terms of RAS associated systemic disorders especially Behçet's disease. Methods: Patients with RAS, who were followed up in Birmingham State Hospital Dermatology Clinic between July 2013 and April 2015, were retrospectively evaluated. Results: A total of 123 patients (86 female, 37 male) were included in this study. Thirteen (106%) of patients were children. The average age of patients was 34.5±14.7 years (range: 8-69 years). Minor aphthous somatitis was the most frequent clinical type (68.3%). Family history was positive in 52.8% of patients. The triggering factors in the etiology of RAS were stress (54.5%), trauma (40.2%), gingivitis (29.3%), food (9.8%), medicines (5. 7%), menstruation in female patients (3.3%), and throat infections (2.4%). Nutritional deficiencies were found in 39% of patients. There was a statistically significant difference in attack frequency (p=0.017) and throat infection history (p=0.029) between adults and pediatric patients. Fourteen (11.4%) patients were diagnosed with Behçet's disease. When we compared the RAS patients diagnosed with Behçet's disease and the other RAS patients, a significant difference was found in pathergy test (p<0.001) and ferritin levels (p=0.020). Conclusion: Patients with RAS should be followed up for a long time for systemic disorders, especially for Behçet's disease, accompanying RAS.