ORAL MUCOSAL LESIONS IN A COVID-19 PATIENT: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Because the oral health of patients with COVID-19 can be affected by the infection, there is doubt whether these manifestations could be a typical pattern resulting from the direct viral infection or result from systemic deterioration. A 24-year-old woman was referred to the general clinical doctor complaining about fever, headache, and shortness of breath lasting around 5 days. Medical history was unremarkable. A nasopharyngeal swab (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) for SARS-CoV-2 was positive. Azithromycin and supportive treatment were prescribed. On the fifth day after the onset of symptoms (2 days after the start of antibiotic) the patient complained about sores in the mouth. Intraoral examination showed several painful, red ulcers with irregular margins and varying sizes and a nonhemorrhagic background in the oropharyngeal region. Topical anesthetic mouthrinse was prescribed. Two weeks after the initial signs, the patient is symptom free with no evidence of local or systemic disease.