The Relationship between Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis and Iron Deficiency Anemia

Abstract

Abstract-Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a common oral mucosal disease characterized by regular, round or oval, painful ulcers with an erythematous border that recur on a regular basis on the nonkeratinized oral mucosae such as labial, buccal, alveolar, and ventral tongue mucosa. Different etiologies and mechanisms have been postulated, resulting in identification of a variety of predisposing factors. A variety of underlying disorders may predispose patients to develop RAS; they include iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is defined as a reduction in total body iron to an extent that iron stores are fully exhausted and some more degree of tissue iron deficiency is present. The aim of this review is therefore to discuss the relationship between RAS and iron deficiency anemia. IDA should be suspected in every case of RAS when no other obvious causes are identified. These findings are believed to be cause by the impaired cellular immunity, deficient bactericidal activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, inadequate antibody response, and epithelial abnormalities attributed to iron lack. RAS is a multifactorial disease with one of the common suspected etiology is IDA. Hence routine hematological examination may be carried out in RAS patients.