From the Research
Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) and Oral Ulcers
- Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) is a vasculitis that affects small to medium-size arteries and can cause various symptoms, including oral ulcers 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Studies have reported cases of PAN presenting with oral ulcers, including a case of childhood systemic PAN that presented with fever, a necrotic skin lesion, and oral ulceration 1.
- Involvement of the oral cavity in PAN is rare, but cases have been reported, including a case of localized polyarteritis nodosa in an adult with ulceration of the tongue and necrosis at the onset of the disease 2.
- Cutaneous PAN, a rare variant of PAN, can also present with oral ulcers, as seen in a case of a 55-year-old woman with severe oropharyngeal ulceration and dysphagia 3.
- PAN can cause necrosis of the tongue, as reported in a case of a pediatric patient with tongue necrosis as the first symptom of the disease 4.
- While oral ulcers are not a typical presentation of PAN, they can be a symptom of the disease, and diagnosis should be considered in patients with oropharyngeal ulceration 3.
- It is worth noting that oral ulcers can also be a symptom of other conditions, such as Behçet disease, which has been reported in conjunction with cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa 5.