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Review
. 2020 Jun 16;7(6):33.
doi: 10.3390/medicines7060033.

Oral Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Role of Non-Invasive Surrogate Markers of Disease Activity

Davide Giuseppe Ribaldone  1 , Selvaggia Brigo  2 , Michela Mangia  1 , Giorgio Maria Saracco  1 , Marco Astegiano  3 , Rinaldo Pellicano  3
Affiliations
Review

Oral Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Role of Non-Invasive Surrogate Markers of Disease Activity

Davide Giuseppe Ribaldone et al. Medicines (Basel). .

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), can be associated with several extra-intestinal manifestations requiring a multidisciplinary management both in terms of work-up and therapy. Oral lesions are common in patients with IBD, with a prevalence ranging from 5% to 50%. These can represent an oral location of IBD as well as a side-effect of drugs used to treat the intestinal disease. Oral manifestations, occurring in patients with IBD, can be divided in nonmalignant, specific, and non-specific ones, and malignant lesions. While there is undoubtedly a need to search for an IBD in patients with oral lesions associated with intestinal symptoms, the work-up of those with an exclusive oral lesion should be personalized. Fecal calprotectin is a non-invasive marker of intestinal inflammation and may be used to select which patients need to undergo endoscopic examination, thereby avoiding unnecessary investigations. The pharmacological armamentarium to treat oral lesions associated with IBD includes topical or systemic corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents, and biologic drugs.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; aphthous stomatitis; cobblestoning; extra-intestinal manifestations; inflammatory bowel disease; lip swelling; mucogingivitis; orofacial granulomatosis; tag-like lesions; ulcerative colitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The therapeutic pyramid of inflammatory bowel disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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