The mouth in inflammatory bowel disease and aspects of orofacial granulomatosis

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease has a wide range of possible oral manifestations, many of which overlap with those seen in other conditions, including orofacial granulomatosis. The precise etiology remains unclear, as is the exact relationship between orofacial granulomatosis and Crohn's disease. Overall, there is growing evidence that orofacial granulomatosis and oral Crohn's disease are distinct clinical disorders with optimal management requiring a multidisciplinary approach with input from appropriate specialists in oral medicine, gastroenterology, allergy, dietetics, and clinical psychology. This review details the etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation, epidemiology, extra-intestinal, and oral manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease and orofacial granulomatosis. It also assesses the current role of investigations in the diagnosis of orofacial granulomatosis and critically reviews the available evidence in relation to medical and surgical interventions for the condition, and its relationship to Crohn's disease.