Necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis
Necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis is an infectious and inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa. This is the most dangerous and severe type of stomatitis. Necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis is localized throughout the oral cavity. The disease can appear independently, but in some cases it is a consequence of untreated catarrhal stomatitis.
Causes of necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis
The main cause of stomatitis is microorganisms that constantly live in the oral cavity and most often in the interdental spaces. As a rule, their number is small, but when exposed to a number of reasons, they manifest pathogenic properties, their colonies on the mucosa increase significantly, and an infectious and inflammatory process is triggered.
The most common causes of necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis:
untreated microtrauma of the oral mucosa;
transmitted viral diseases (herpes, flu);
severe general diseases (pathologies of the liver, kidneys, endocrine system);
lack of proper oral hygiene;
the presence of dental deposits (stone and plaque);
general weakening of the human immune system;
untreated catarrhal gingivitis, which has turned into a severe form.
Symptoms of necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis
The symptoms of the disease are very diverse and completely depend on its stage.
At the initial stage , it is noted:
pain when eating;
soreness and enlargement of lymph nodes;
slight increase in body temperature;
bad breath that remains even after brushing your teeth;
dry mouth;
swelling and redness of the gums.
At this time, necrosis affects only the tops of the papillae of the gum.
With the further development of the disease , it is noted:
formation of single and multiple ulcers on the mucous membrane;
the spread of ulcers throughout the oral mucosa;
the development of inflammatory processes not only on the surface of ulcers, but also in deeper layers, which causes tissue necrosis;
significant increase in body temperature;
the pain increases when talking and eating;
there may be difficulty opening the mouth.
Diagnosis of necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis
The disease is diagnosed by a dentist when examining the oral cavity. Mainly it is worth paying attention to the differential diagnosis of stomatitis from HIV infection. To do this, it is necessary to conduct a blood test for HIV-carrier. It is also worth conducting a Wasserman reaction, and if a history of contacts with mercury is detected, urine tests for mercury are performed. Cytological method plays an important role in the differential diagnosis of this disease.
Treatment of necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis
The disease is treated locally by treating the ulcerated surface with medical preparations. If the disease is at an early stage, then the inflammatory process can be stopped without even contacting specialists (rinsing the oral cavity with potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide).
In case of tissue necrosis, mucosal treatment can only be carried out by a specialist.
With deep and extensive tissue necrosis, surgical intervention is prescribed to excise the damaged areas of the mucosa.
Treatment of necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis should be carried out in parallel with the treatment of common diseases that caused pathological changes in the oral mucosa, otherwise it will not bring a positive result.
To improve the regeneration of the affected oral mucosa, the patient is prescribed specialized stimulants. After the relief of the inflammatory process, the patient requires a complete sanitation of the oral cavity.
Patients who have suffered from this disease should be observed at the dentist for at least a year after complete recovery.
