Burning mouth syndrome: a retrospective study investigating spontaneous remission and response to treatments

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the spontaneous remission rate of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) in a group of subjects suffering from this syndrome. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The medical records of BMS patients attending the Unit of Oral Medicine (1995-2002) were reviewed. The patients with a follow-up period of at least 18 months were then contacted over phone and interviewed using a structured ad hoc questionnaire to record their current symptoms and data about their treatment responses to the therapies. RESULTS: Forty-eight women and five men with a mean age of 67.7 years (range 33-82 years) were included in the study (mean duration of BMS 5.5 years, s.d. +/- 1.9 years, mean follow-up period of 56 months). As a consequence of different treatments, 26 patients (49.0%) reported no change in oral symptoms, 15 (28.3%) moderate improvement and 10 (18.9%) a worsening of oral complaints. Only two patients (3.7%) reported a complete spontaneous remission of oral symptoms without any treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a complete spontaneous remission was observed in 3% of the patients within 5 years after the onset of BMS. A moderate improvement was obtained in < 30% of the subjects.