Rochelle R. Torgerson

Are You Confident of the Diagnosis? Aphthous stomatitis is a common, painful, oral ulcerative condition that is self-healing but recurrent. The onset is typically in childhood and the frequency of recurrences tends to decrease with age. In the most common form, lesions have a subtle 1-2 day prodrome, last 7 to 10 days, and resolve…

Are You Confident of the Diagnosis? Pyostomatitis Vegetans is a rare, pustular, oral condition associated with inflammatory bowel disease and other underlying gastrointestinal diseases. The gastrointestinal diagnosis typically precedes the oral diagnosis by years. This is the oral presentation of pyoderma vegetans (vegetative plaques in the intertriginous folds). Characteristic findings on physical examination On oral…

Are You Confident of the Diagnosis? Characteristic findings on physical examination Mosicatio buccarum is typically not a presenting complaint but an interesting diagnosis made as an aside during a complete oral examination. The shaggy, macerated cheeks seen (not removed by wiping) are asymptomatic or at most minimally uncomfortable (Figure 1). There is variability in the…

Are You Confident of the Diagnosis? What you should be alert for in the history Most patients with median rhomboid glossitis are asymptomatic, but some complain of a burning sensation that is exacerbated by acidic or spicy foods. Characteristic findings on physical examination Clinically there is a rhomboid-shaped, well-defined, erythematous plaque in the central tongue…

Are You Confident of the Diagnosis? What you should be alert for in the history Geographic tongue is a benign condition, named for its classic clinical appearance of migratory color and texture variations over the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the tongue, creating a map-like appearance. The majority of patients with geographic tongue are asymptomatic…