Epidemiological and clinics characteristics of 414 cases of oral lesions and sensorial functions of COVID-19 in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Several studies have evaluated the occurrence of oral lesions and changes in sensory functions in patients positive for COVID-19. Objective(s) To evaluate the manifestations of COVID-19, emphasizing olfactory and gustatory changes, xerostomia, and oral lesions. Material(s) and Method(s) A cross-sectional and observational study was conducted. Approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (#46151121.6.0000.5141). All patients were diagnosed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) and considered to have mild symptoms, according to the latest WHO joint report. The patients were evaluated at a reference Service for COVID-19 in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The oral cavity was evaluated for each patient on the second and seventh days. Result(s) A total of 414 patients older than 18 years were evaluated. One hundred thirty-nine presented at least one of the studied conditions, oral lesions (19.08%) were the most frequently observed, followed by gustatory disorders (18.11%), xerostomia (14.25%), and olfactory dysfunction (14%). Among the oral lesions, there were various anatomical locations and clinical presentations. The occurrence involving lips and tongue represented 49 oral lesions, the most prevalent being, respectively, ulcerations (n=51), candidiasis (n=8), and erythema or red plaques (n=7). Fifty patients died. Conclusion(s) This study represents, to date, the largest case series of oral lesions in Brazilian patients with COVID-19, and oral alterations were observed in an expressive percentage of patients with COVID-19. However, it cannot be concluded that SARS-CoV-2 directly causes them.