Oral manifestations of Crohn’s disease in relation to patient’s hematinic status

Abstract

Aim: Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory condition that develops in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, with a multifactorial, but not fully understood etiology. Both abdominal and extra-abdominal symptoms may accompany this entity. Material/Methods: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the state of the oral mucosa in patients with Crohn’s disease in relation to their hematinic status. Seventy patients with CD aged 18–79 years were enrolled in the study. The mean duration of the disease was 6.3 years; the subjects presented with assorted clinical stages of CD. The control croup consisted of 70 generally healthy subjects aged 22–78 years. All the participants underwent a detailed oral examination, mycological testing on Candida-selective media and blood serum iron level evaluation. The results were statistically analyzed with p<0.005 being considered significant level. Results: Commonly observed pathologic lesions in patients with CD included: white coated tongue, buccal cobblestoning, and recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). RAS and several types of glossitis, including: atrophic, median rhomboid and geographic type appeared more often in iron deficient subjects. RAS, angular cheilitis, atrophic glossitis and white coated tongue appeared frequently in the high-active CD subgroup, although the differences were statistically insignificant. The occurrence of Candida was similar in the tested subgroups, but significantly higher than in the controls. Conclusions: Pathologic oral lesions like RAS and glossitis may indicate the development of iron deficiency and deterioration of CD. Iron status and disease activity do not influence the occurrence of oral Candida.