Individual oral symptoms in burning mouth syndrome may be associated differentially with depression and anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an idiopathic disease characterized by the feeling of burning in the oral cavity. Ten per cent of patients presenting to oral medicine clinics have BMS. Anxiety and depression are common co-morbidities in BMS, but it is not known if they are associated with specific BMS symptoms. OBJECTIVE: In an exploratory analysis, this study examined the association of generalized anxiety and depression with individual BMS symptoms. METHODS: Forty-one patients were recruited from a dental outpatient clinic (30 with BMS and 11 with other oral conditions), evaluating specific BMS symptoms and their intensity. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using a standardized measure (Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised). RESULTS: Taste change (p = 0.007), fear of serious illness (p = 0.011), metallic taste (p = 0.018) and sensation of a film on the gums (p = 0.047) were associated with an excess of psychiatric symptoms. More specifically, metallic taste (coefficient = 0.497, 95% CI = 0.149-0.845; p = 0.006) and sensation of film on gums (coefficient = 0.625, 95% CI = 0.148-1.103; p = 0.012) were associated significantly with higher scores for depressive symptoms; taste change (coefficient = 0.269, 95% CI = 0.077-0.461; p = 0.007), bad breath (coefficient = 0.273, 95% CI = 0.065-0.482; p = 0.012) and fear of serious illness (coefficient = 0.242, 95% CI = 0.036-0.448; p = 0.023) were associated with higher anxiety scores. CONCLUSION: Specific BMS symptoms are associated differentially with generalized anxiety and depression. Dental practitioners should ascertain which BMS symptoms are predominant and be mindful of the association of certain symptoms with anxiety or depression and, where necessary, consider medical consultation.

Orbital mass secondary to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in a child: a rare presentation.

We report the case of a 3-year-old child, who presented with lid swelling which progressed to proptosis of the left eye. He also had systemic symptoms of fatigue and weight loss. An examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly and lymph node enlargement. Investigations showed a peripheral smear with blast cells, which were also revealed through a bone marrow biopsy. A CT scan showed a mass lesion in the left orbit that had infiltrated into the surrounding tissues. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) with left-sided orbital mass secondary to it. Haematogenous masses in the orbit are commonly due to granulocytic sarcomas, which are usually associated with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), not ALL, and are rare especially when they precede systemic disease.

Giant cell arteritis affecting the tongue: a case report and review of the literature.

UNLABELLED: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic vasculitis with symptoms that could cause a patient to present to a general dental practitioner. A case of GCA that presented as headache, jaw claudication, unilateral visual loss and tongue ulceration leading to necrosis is reported and the literature reviewed, with an emphasis on dentally relevant aspects. It is vital that GCA is not overlooked in patients over the age of 50 with unexplained dental pain, tissue necrosis or jaw pain which may be misdiagnosed as a temporomandibular joint disorder. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment is the key to preventing visual loss. Early referral in such cases would be warranted. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dental clinicians may play a part in the early diagnosis of GCA by having a high index of suspicion for its symptoms in patients, so that devastating ischaemic consequences, such as irreversible visual loss, can be prevented.