Recognition and management of vitamin B12 deficiency: Report of four cases with oral manifestations.

Vitamins are organic compounds present in low concentrations in food, performing vital and specific cell metabolism functions. Vitamin B12 is essential for red blood cell formation in the bone marrow and its deficiency is caused, mainly, by gastrointestinal malabsorption. In addition to systemic manifestations, oral signs and symptoms have also been associated to this condition such as glossitis, papillary atrophy, painful erythema areas, burning sensation, dysgeusia, lingual paresthesia and itching. This study aims to report four cases of oral manifestations caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. All patients presented oral mucosa lesions. Vitamin B12 deficiency was diagnosed based in clinical characteristics and complementary exams. Oral supplementation for vitamin B12 deficiency was conducted/realized in three patients, while one patient was treated with parenteral doses. All of them showed partial or total remission of the signs and symptoms.

The Effect of Zinc Gluconate Supplementation on Symptoms and Tongue Epithelium Regeneration in Non-psoriatic Patients with Migratory Glossitis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate zinc gluconate as a treatment option in patients with symptomatic migratory glossitis (MG). Using simple random sampling, 28 non-psoriatic patients with symptomatic MG were divided into a test and control group. The test group took 20 mg/day of chelated zinc gluconate for one month, and was put on a diet rich in zinc. The control group was only put on a diet rich in zinc. Changes in the size of red atrophied areas (width and length) and the intensity of symptoms were evaluated as primary and secondary outcomes, respectively, at baseline, after therapy, and one month later. In the test group, the mean value of the red atrophy area width and length displayed some significant reduction as a primary outcome. There were no significant changes in the size of red patches in the control group. Secondary outcome showed that the intensity of subjective symptoms in the test group significantly decreased (P=0.042) compared with controls. The filiform papillae had partially or completely regenerated in 85.7% of cases in the test group and in 23.1% of the controls (P=0.001). Red patches with raised keratotic rims may have healed spontaneously and reappeared in constantly changing patterns that are typical for MG. This phenomenon was not observed in patients supplemented with zinc, and new atrophy areas occurred in only one case. Low-dose zinc gluconate.

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 contributes to inflammatory tongue pain via extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling in the trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis and upper cervical spinal cord.

BACKGROUND: In the orofacial region, limited information is available concerning pathological tongue pain, such as inflammatory pain or neuropathic pain occurring in the tongue. Here, we tried for the first time to establish a novel animal model of inflammatory tongue pain in rats and to investigate the roles of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling in this process. METHODS: Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was submucosally injected into the tongue to induce the inflammatory pain phenotype that was confirmed by behavioral testing. Expression of phosphorylated ERK (pERK) and mGluR5 in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) and upper cervical spinal cord (C1-C2) were detected with immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. pERK inhibitor, a selective mGluR5 antagonist or agonist was continuously administered for 7 days via an intrathecal (i.t.) route. Local inflammatory responses were verified by tongue histology. RESULTS: Submucosal injection of CFA into the tongue produced a long-lasting mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia at the inflamed site, concomitant with an increase in the pERK immunoreactivity in the Vc and C1-C2. The distribution of pERK-IR cells was laminar specific, ipsilaterally dominant, somatotopically relevant, and rostrocaudally restricted. Western blot analysis also showed an enhanced activation of ERK in the Vc and C1-C2 following CFA injection. Continuous i.t. administration of the pERK inhibitor and a selective mGluR5 antagonist significantly depressed the mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia in the CFA-injected tongue. In addition, the number of pERK-IR cells in ipsilateral Vc and C1-C2 was also decreased by both drugs. Moreover, continuous i.t. administration of a selective mGluR5 agonist induced mechanical allodynia in naive rats. CONCLUSIONS: The present study constructed a new animal model of inflammatory tongue pain in rodents, and demonstrated pivotal roles of the mGluR5-pERK signaling in the development of mechanical and heat hypersensitivity that evolved in the inflamed tongue. This tongue-inflamed model might be useful for future studies to further elucidate molecular and cellular mechanisms of pathological tongue pain such as burning mouth syndrome.

Severe exfoliative erythema of malnutrition in a child with coexisting coeliac and Hartnup's disease.

Exfoliative erythema of malnutrition is a collective term for skin lesions caused by a combination of multiple deficiencies in vitamins, microelements, essential fatty acids and amino acids. We report a 3-year-old Iraqi girl with malnutrition due to coexisting coeliac and Hartnup's disease. On admission to hospital, she presented with kwashiorkor, anaemia, hepatitis and hypoalbuminia. She had severe skin changes with erythema, desquamation, erosions and diffuse hyperpigmentation involving the whole integument, particularly the perioral area, trunk and legs. She also had angular cheilitis, glossitis, conjunctivitis and diffuse alopecia. After treatment with a high-protein gluten-free diet and supplementation with vitamins and microelements there was a rapid improvement in the skin lesions. The severity of the skin lesions in this case can be explained by the coexistence of two metabolic diseases causing complex malnutrition.