Association of Oral Manifestations with Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Case-Control Study

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Insufficient iron levels cause oral signs of iron insufficiency. Iron is necessary for several biological activities, including oral tissue health. Low iron levels might alter oral tissues, causing particular symptoms. The aim of this study to detect the oral manifestations of iron deficiency anemia as well as to investigate the link between the severity of these manifestations and the degree of the iron deficiency. The study includes 100 patients with iron deficiency anemia at an Azadi Teaching Hospital, in Duhok City, North of Iraq, and 98 healthy persons. A full history was obtained, and complete blood count and serum ferritin were recorded. In terms of gender distribution, a clear dominance of females was observed, as they represented 94% of the total cases compared to only 6% for males. Regarding the severity of anemia, most patients had moderate to mild degrees, while severe anemia cases represented a smaller percentage (12%). The comparison between patients and healthy people showed highly significant statistical differences in all pathological changes of the oral mucosa. Complete absence of pathological changes was more common in healthy controls (85%) than in patients (34%). Some pathological changes were closely associated with iron deficiency anemia, such as atrophic glossitis and angular cheilitis. This study concludes by highlighting the strong correlation between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and oral mucosal lesions, and the most common oral manifestations are present in patients with severe iron deficiency anemia.