Oral Aphthous-like Ulcers Response to Topical Therapy in Young Adult Woman with Beta-Thalassemia Intermedia

Abstract

Background: Beta thalassemia may have some oral manifestations. Oral mucosa ulcer may be one of the oral manifestations of beta-thalassemia. The oral ulcer may resemble recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). This current case report aims to present an aphthous oral ulcer as a manifestation in young adult women with beta-thalassemia. Case report: A 28-year-old woman complained of recurrent painful oral ulcers in the labial mucosa. She was diagnosed with beta-thalassemia intermedia three years before. The ulcer may take 3-4 weeks to heal completely. Intraoral examination revealed two yellowish ulcers, 5 mm and 10 mm, surrounded by an erythematous halo, regular margin on left lips mucosa, oral ulcer pain scale measured medium level by visual analogue scale (VAS). The oral aphthous-like ulcer was taken for diagnosis in this case. Topical treatment was given to the oral ulcer using chlorine dioxide gel three times daily. After 10 days, the oral aphthous-like ulcer was healed. Conclusion: An oral aphthous-like ulcer may be the oral manifestation in beta-thalassemia patients, and the oral ulcer may respond well to topical treatment commonly used in recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) patients. Hence, it is important to recognize oral conditions as one clinical manifestation in beta-thalassemia patients and choose the appropriate treatment to accelerate oral ulcer healing.