The author has none to declare. This study was supported by Grants-in-aid for SKI-606 chemical structure Scientific Research A [to T.T-Y.] from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. “
“Many kinds of adverse reactions induced by drug medications in the oral cavity are now well recognized [1], [2] and [3]. Among these, the most frequent are dry mouth (hyposalivation), dysgeusia, and stomatitis. Stomatitis is a general term for disturbance of oral epithelial cells and covers several types of oral mucosal symptoms. Oral mucosal symptoms caused by drugs can be further divided as follows:

(1) lichenoid reaction/lichen planus; (2) ulcers; (3) erythema multiforme; (4) pigmentation; (5) autoimmune vesiculo-bullous disease; (6)

infections; (7) tumors (fibrovascular hyperplasia); (8) swellings (angioedema); and (9) keratosis [1]. This paper focuses on ulcers and/or erosions in the oral cavity induced by pharmacotherapy, with an emphasis on new drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, angina pectoris, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Oral ulcers are common symptoms observed in the oral cavity and include traumatic, infective, aphthous, ulceration related to dermatoses, drug-induced, ulceration as a manifestation of systemic disease, and ulceration due to malignancy (Table 1) [4], [5] and [6]. When ulcers show typical clinical findings, differential diagnosis may be easy; however, the exact diagnosis is difficult in most cases, and PD0325901 histopathological diagnosis may be needed. Careful examination of the oral mucosa is the most important factor

for determining a provisional diagnosis. Patients are often confused by the term stomatitis, and the precise nature of the complaint should be confirmed. The age, sex, and dental and medical histories of the patient may provide useful information, and the number, shape, size, and location of lesions must also be carefully observed [7] and [8]. Traumatic Methamphetamine ulceration is caused by mechanical, thermal, or chemical irritants. The most frequent causes are ill-fitting dentures, sharp-edged crowns or bridges, and tooth decay. The ulcer floor is usually clear and ulcer margins do not typically show induration on palpation, but sometimes show bleeding, granular appearance, or induration resembling malignant tumor. Viral infection is generally associated with multiple small aphthous ulcerations. The initial presentation is fluid-filled vesicles, but these rapidly break down to form small, round, painful ulcers with ragged margins that often fuse to form large, irregular ulcers. Viral infections in the oral cavity are most commonly due to herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), coxsackie virus and cytomegalovirus.