Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of 0.2% hyaluronic acid (HA) topical gel and dexamethasone topical ointment in the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) in children. This retrospective observational study included 104 patients who had more than two episodes of oral aphthous ulcers per year and were treated with HA (n=52) or dexamethasone (n=52) from August 15, 2014 to September 3, 2018. Therapy efficacy was evaluated based on the ulcer size and pain score before versus 7 days after either therapy. The paired t-test, chi-squared test, and independent t-test were utilized for statistical analyses. There was no significant difference in ulcer size or pain score between the HA and dexamethasone groups, on day 1 or day 7. Both treatments were tolerated well and no side effects were reported. No significant differences in body temperature, respiration rate, pulse, or systolic/diastolic blood pressure were observed between the start (day 1) and end of treatment (day 7), for either treatment. HA and dexamethasone showed similar efficacy in reducing ulcer size and pain scores, and were tolerated equally well in children with RAU. Future high-quality studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to confirm our findings.
Highlights
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis/ulcers (RAU) are the most common type of recurrent oral ulcers [1]
RAU is an inflammatory disorder characterized by painful ovoid or round mouth ulcers that recur unpredictably [2]
One hundred and four patients were enrolled in the present study and 52 patients were assigned to each of the two groups
Summary
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis/ulcers (RAU) are the most common type of recurrent oral ulcers [1]. RAU is an inflammatory disorder characterized by painful ovoid or round mouth ulcers that recur unpredictably [2]. The condition generally presents in childhood and the prevalence in children is high, at 40% [3,4]. Aphthous ulcers (AU) can negatively impact a child’s quality of life by interfering with eating and speaking, and may result in poor school attendance [5]. Infection, and immunodeficiency are the most common risk factors for AU in children [6,7]. The pain intensity and psychological distress associated with AU vary, and the priority of therapy should be to improve the patient’s quality of life [5,8]
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