Introduction
Oral ulcers are
considered as one of the most common problems that cause pain in the mouth [1].
The exact cause of mouth ulcers is still not known. But they may develop as a
result of stress or anxiety, traumatic injuries, hormonal changes during
pregnancy, puberty, and menopause. Deficiency diseases such as Crohn’s disease,
vitamin B12 or iron deficiency, or a weakened immune system may all be
considered as etiological factors for oral ulcers [2]. Any ulcerative lesion
that lasts for two weeks or longer, is considered chronic and any ulcer of
fewer than 14 days’ duration is considered Acute [3]. Recurrent ulcers usually
present with a history of similar episodes with intermittent healing [4]. Most
oral ulcers are usually harmless and resolve by themselves within a week or
two. Sometimes, however, they can be non-responsive to conventional therapies,
such as multi-vitamins and local analgesic jelly, or, in severe cases
antibiotics and Analgesics [5]. The use of Citric acid (3%) has been reported
to yield successful results in treating non-healing ulcers and a variety of
infected wounds located at various parts of the body other than in the oral
cavity [6]. Here we report a case of recurrent oral ulcers on the tongue which
was treated with a mixture of 3% citric acid with 2% lidocaine jelly. Follow up
of one year showed no recurrence.
Case Report
A 70-year-old female patient reported to the Department of dentistry with a chief complaint of multiple recurrent ulcerations on the tongue for one year. The intraoral examination revealed that ulcers were present on lateral borders of the tongue bilaterally (Figure 1-3).
Figure 1: Oral ulcers on left side of tongue.
Figure 2: Oral ulcers on Right
side of tongue.