Patients with COVID-19 may present some oral manifestations

Evid Based Dent. 2021 Jan;22(2):80-81. doi: 10.1038/s41432-021-0173-3.

Abstract

Data sources Medline (using PubMed) and Google Scholar. Also, a case was reported by the authors.Study selection Case reports dealing with oral manifestations of COVID-19.Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently reviewed articles and papers which reported any oral lesions in patients with COVID-19 and summarised the data. In addition, they collated all relevant information about each case.Results The authors described a case history in which oral symptoms were observed which included dry mouth, acute dysgeusia, mild pain and burning sensation in lower lip mucosa, then after two days, vesicles appeared in the same region with simultaneous systemic symptoms of COVID-19. The patient reported a previous history of herpetic infections. After seven days, oral lesions were healed and systemic symptoms regressed on day 14.Literature review Seventeen studies reporting 226 confirmed cases, and the case reported by the review authors, were included. The age range was between 9-90 years. More than 170 cases developed oral manifestations. The most common oral manifestations were dry mouth (n = 75), dysgeusia (n = 71) and pseudomembranous fungal structure (n = 67). Changes in tongue sensation (n = 48) and ulceration (n = 28), muscle pain during mastication (n = 15), swelling in the oral cavity (n = 10) and herpetic lesions (n = 6) were other common symptoms. The mean onset time of the oral manifestation was 7.21 days after systemic symptoms (range: 10-42 days). In 42 cases, oral lesions resolved spontaneously or with some basic treatment within three weeks.Conclusions Some patients with COVID-19 may present oral manifestations during their course of the disease; however, we do not know if there is a causal relationship between COVID-19 and these manifestations or not.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • COVID-19*
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Mucosa
  • Oral Ulcer*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Xerostomia*
  • Young Adult