Atypical Healing Related to Irritable Bowel Disease

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Irritable bowel disease (IBD) is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammation of the entire digestive system, which includes the oral cavity. Oral manifestations of IBD includes aphthous ulcerations which may appear spontaneously and resemble episodes of active flare ups of IBD. The presence of oral mucosal ulcerations, in addition with other systemic symptoms and exclusion of other etiological causes, requires an interdisciplinary team approach to diagnose and manage. CASE PRESENTATION: A 19-year-old female presented with significant ulcerations next to a surgical site after a tooth extraction and ridge preservation procedure. The patient reported a history of preexisting episodes of ulcerations and continued to develop ulcers while the surgical site was healing. A referral to a gastroenterologist lead to a confirmed diagnosis of IBD. CONCLUSION: This case report presents a case of mucosal ulceration after surgical intervention that lead to the diagnosis of IBD. Appropriate and timely identification of oral manifestations of systemic disease conditions is key in early diagnosis and disease management. Connecting oral lesions to early presentation of systemic conditions potentially reduces a patient's systemic disease burden and improves their quality of life.