Evaluating Red Patches and Burning Mouth Symptoms as Oral Biomarkers in Cobalamin Deficiency: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency can manifest through various nonspecific oral symptoms. Early diagnosis is crucial but challenging due to subtle and progressive clinical features. Laboratory investigations like serum cobalamin levels and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) are used but have limitations. Purpose: To assess the reliability of red patches and burning mouth symptoms as oral biomarkers for clinical and subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency, and correlate them with serum cobalamin and MCV values. Methods: A sequential diagnostic analysis was conducted on 120 adult subjects (aged 18-45), divided into a control group consisting of asymptomatic subjects with subclinical cobalamin deficiency and a study group with symptomatic subjects with clinical cobalamin deficiency. Oral examinations and laboratory tests for MCV and serum cobalamin levels were performed. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and logistic regression. Results: Significant differences were found in MCV and cobalamin levels between study and control groups (P < .001). The presence of red patches and burning mouth symptoms strongly correlated with variations in MCV and cobalamin levels. Logistic regression analysis showed high accuracy (98.3%) in distinguishing between groups based on these markers. Conclusion: Oral red patches and burning mouth symptoms, in conjunction with MCV and cobalamin levels, can serve as reliable indicators for identifying clinical cobalamin deficiency. This underscores the importance of monitoring these oral indicators during initial clinical examinations for early detection and management of vitamin B12 deficiency.