vitamin-b-12 and Glossalgia

The aim of this retrospective study of patients with tongue pain who showed no improvement after initial treatment and examination was to find out if their lack of response correlated with serum concentrations of zinc, vitamin B12, folic acid, and copper, and if it was associated with coexisting systemic diseases. We studied 311 patients for whom we had data about serum concentrations of these elements, and recorded whether they had any systemic diseases and were taking medicines regularly. One patient (0.3%) had a copper concentration outside the reference range; 2 patients (0.6%) had folic acid concentrations outside the reference range. The corresponding number for vitamin B12 was 5 (2%), and for zinc 30 (10%). The systemic diseases with the highest rates were: hyperlipidaemia (n=53, 17%), gastritis or gastric ulcer (n=51, 16%), angina pectoris (n=39, 13%), diabetes mellitus (n=31, 10%), thyroid disease (n=31, 10%), mild mental disorder (n=27, 9%), hypertension (n=18, 6%), cerebral infarction (n=17, 6%), leiomyoma (n=15, 5%) and anaemia (n=15, 5%). Roughly 10% of the patients were deficient in zinc. This study suggested that the serum concentration of zinc was most important to the patients with tongue pain. Many patients had more than one systemic condition, and all were taking various drugs.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia; Angina Pectoris; Cerebral Infarction; Copper; Diabetes Complications; Female; Folic Acid; Gastritis; Glossalgia; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hypertension; Leiomyoma; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Diseases; Vitamin B 12; Young Adult; Zinc

In 96 patients who visited our hospital with glossodynia, we conducted gustatory tests, measured serum zinc and copper levels, examined lingual papillae using biomicroscopy, conducted psychological tests and investigated the effectiveness of treatments directed at the cause of dysgeusia. Gustatory test results showed that 43 (44.8%) of the patients had dysgeusia, which was mild in 62.8%, moderate in 30.2% and severe in 7.0%. By giving higher priority to treatment of dysgeusia than to glossodynia, pain disappeared or was relieved and gustatory sensation improved in 27 (62.8%) of these 43 patients. Overall, pain disappeared or was improved in 65 (67.7%) cases. When treating glossodynia, it is important to diagnose the cause of pain and to give higher priority to treating that cause. The clinical efficacy of treatment for glossodynia will be improved when the presence or absence of dysgeusia is diagnosed early in the course of treatment.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Copper; Dysgeusia; Female; Glossalgia; Humans; Incidence; Iron; Male; Middle Aged; Vitamin B 12; Zinc

The oral manifestations of glossitis, stomatitis and mucosal ulceration in vitamin B12 deficiency have long been recognised. These oral changes may occur in the absence of symptomatic anaemia or of macrocytosis. The aim of this paper is to describe a retrospective study of the wide range of oral signs and symptoms reported by 14 patients found to have a previously undiagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency. None of the patients described in this study had generalised symptoms sufficiently advanced to arouse suspicions of vitamin B12 deficiency. The essential criteria for the diagnosis of pernicious anaemia are also discussed.

Topics: Anemia; Anemia, Macrocytic; Anemia, Pernicious; Burning Mouth Syndrome; Cheilitis; Female; Glossalgia; Glossitis; Humans; Male; Mouth Diseases; Mouth Mucosa; Retrospective Studies; Stomatitis; Stomatitis, Denture; Ulcer; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency

Topics: Adult; Glossalgia; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychotherapy; Vitamin B 12