Reccurent aphthous stomatitis

Abstract

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common inflammatory ulcerative disease of the oral mucosa characterised by painfull, round, or ovoid ulcers with circumscribed margins, erythematous haloes, and yellow-grayish pseudomembrane in the centre. Three clinical subtypes of RAS have been established: minor, major and herpetiform RAS. RAS affects approximately 20% of the population, predominantly affects women, individuals under stress and ones of higher socioeconomic status. The lesions can occur at any age, but they mostly occur in the second life decade. Despite its high prevalence, the etiopathogenesis of RAS still remains unclear. This review article presents the recent knowledge about the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of RAS. Key words: stomatitis aphthous; diagnosis; etiology; therapy