Diagnosis
Inflammation of the mouth. A variety of causes: Alcohol, chemotherapy, dehydration, hematologic malignancies, infections, loose-fitting dental dentures, medications, poor dental hygiene, radiation, smoking, trauma,
Epidemiologic Risks
Chemotherapy commonly causes stomatitis that can be a portal of entry for infections.
In children, there is a Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis (PFAPA) Syndrome (PubMed)
Microbiology
Viral most common: Herpes simplex virus (Herpes gingivostomatitis), Coxsackie virus (herpangina, hand-foot-mouth-disease), chickenpox and EBV.
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus
Necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis/periodontitis aka Vincents aka trench mouth: mostly anaerobic bacteria and Fusobacterium.
Candida with dentures.
Empiric Therapy
It depends on the cause. Usually symptomatic.
Pearls
Lizards get mouth rot. Like Blue Tongue Skink Mouth Rot. Ick. (PubMed)
Last Update: 02/14/19.