Clinical Evaluation of Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis and Its Correlation with Helicobacter Pylori

Abstract

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is a disorder distinguished by ulcers restricted to the oral mucosa. Because of
the histological similarities between peptic ulcers and recurrent aphthous stomatitis and the identified role
of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer, the possibility of bacterial involvement in the progression of aphthae
has been suggested. Helicobacter pylori are one of the most common, well-known pathogenic agents in the
development of peptic ulcers. Some investigators have shown a relationship between Helicobacter pylori
and recurrent aphthous stomatitis. However, this relationship is controversial. The aims and objectives of
this study were 1- Clinical evaluation of patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis.2- Determination of the
association between Helicobacter pylori and recurrent aphthous stomatitis using the urea breath test.
Eighty-five subjects were participated in this study; they are divided into two groups. Fifty patients with
recurrent aphthous stomatitis, which at least occur four, or more times per year, thirty-five healthy subjects
of the same age group as controls.
The results showed that ,the mean age of patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis lie around 3rd decade
and the percentage of female with recurrent aphthous stomatitis was higher than male,the clinical findings
showed that the number of patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis was higher than patients with
major and Herptiform recurrent aphthous stomatitis , No difference between the number of patients who had
single recurrent aphthous stomatitis and number of patients who had multiple recurrent aphthous stomatitis
was found . According to the site of ulcers, the result founded that the number of patients who had RAS on
the non-keratinized mucosa was higher than patients who had RAS on the keratinized mucosa and those who
had recurrent aphthous stomatitis on keratinized and non-keratinized oral mucosa.
Regarding the laboratory findings, the percentage of patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis who urea
breath test positive was higher than percentage of control group,also the mean value (Delta Over Base) of
urea breath test in recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients was statistically higher than that of healthy controls.
By these results we concluded that there was a correlation between recurrent aphthous somatitis and H.pylori
by using urea breath test in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis when compared with controls.