Oral Manifestations in Hospitalized COVID Patients

Abstract

Aim: Evaluation of oral lesions in COVID-hospitalized patients, analyzing the potential etiopathogenetic mechanisms. Materials and methods: We evaluated a total of 58 hospitalized COVID patients in the time span from April 2021 to May 2021. The group analyzed consists of 38 male patients (66%) and 20 female patients (34%), aged between 22 and 92, with a preponderance of 60–80 years. All patients underwent an oral evaluation in order to detect the various oral manifestations; moreover, the onset time of these lesions has been correlated with the time of manifestation of the general symptoms of COVID infection. Results: Xerostomia has been the most frequent oral manifestation detected (30 patients, 51.7% of the sample), followed by ageusia (16 patients, 27.6%), and white tongue (13 patients, 22.4%). Other oral manifestations observed were aphthous lesions, fissured tongue, metallic taste, tingling in the lip and chin, and burning mouth syndrome. Conclusion: Our findings show a significant correlation between the oral manifestations and the burst of viral replication phase in COVID patients. Clinical significance: Awareness of the possible oral manifestations of COVID infection is important to conduct a correct diagnosis in oral pathology.