Clinical Profile of Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers and its Association with Serum Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 levels. A Cross-Sectional Study in Tertiary Care Hospital, Mandya

Introduction: Aphthous ulcers are recurrent oral immunological ulcers that are multifactorial in origin and arise as a result of T-cell medicated damage to the mucosal epithelial basal layer. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) based on the clinical features, divided into three main types: minor aphthae (MiRAS), major aphthae (MaRAS) and herpetiform aphthae (HpRAS). Deficiencies of vitamin B12, folate, iron, ferritin, Vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6 have been reported in a portion of RAS patients. Methodology: The study is a Cross-Sectional Study conducted in Department of Otorhinolaryngology. The study had 45 patients who were diagnosed with recurrent aphthous ulcer. All the data were collected in a specially designed case proforma. The diagnosis was made on the basis of a characteristic RAS clinical picture during an examination and the history of a regular mode of recurrence of the lesions. Results: The study consisted of 45 patients of aged between 19 years to 57 years, of which 24 were males and 21 were females. The most common symptom the patient presented was burning sensation 62%. Out of 45 patients, 19 were found deficient, 9 patients had borderline serum levels for serum vitamin B12 levels and 10 patients had deficiency, 22 patients had insufficient levels for serum vitamin D levels. Conclusion: This research provides a significant contribution to the literature regarding levels of vitamin D and vitaminB12 in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Screening aphthous ulcer patients by measuring serum vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels is necessary, as to prevent recurrent aphthous ulcer.