Investigating the Quality of Life of Patients with Minor Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS) Using the COMDQ Questionnaire

Abstract

Background and purpose: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis or RAS is one of the most common lesions of the oral mucosa, which is recurrent and painful. So far, several factors have been known as predisposing factors to this disease. However, there is no specific treatment for it. Anxiety and stress are among the causes of these lesions. Quality of life reflects the level of satisfaction and sense of well-being in individuals. Since it is believed that these lesions affect the quality of life due to their chronic and painful nature, the present study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of patients with recurrent oral aphthous stomatitis using the COMDQ questionnaire. Materials and methods: The tool used to measure quality of life in this study was the COMDQ questionnaire. This questionnaire examines the quality of life of patients with chronic mucosal diseases using 26 questions in four subgroups, including pain and functional limitations, treatment and medication, psychological and social status, and patient support. In the scoring system for recurrent aphthous stomatitis, the characteristics of lesions in the last three months and factors such as the number of lesions, the rate of recurrence of lesions, and the affected areas should be considered to determine the severity of the disease. Thus, the USS system, which is derived from the combination of the above items, was used. The USS system includes 6 subgroups, including the frequency of the aphthous lesions in the last three months, diameter, duration, ulcer-free period, location of aphthous lesions, and pain. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to calculate the correlation between age severity and duration of the disease with quality of life. To compare the average scores of this questionnaire in two genders, an independent t-test was used, and the Mann-Whitney test was used if the data were not normal. Data analysis was done by SPSS ver 25 software. Results: In this study, 251 questionnaires were completed using the census sampling method. Among the study participants, 116 (46.22%) were men and 135 (53.78%) were women. The average total COMDQ score was 43.34±13.78 and no significant difference was observed between men and women in any of the dimensions of quality of life and the total quality of life score, as well as age (P>0.05). The correlation between COMDQ total score and general health (P=0.014) and also in comparison with oral health was significant (P=0.014). Also, the severity of lesions (USS score) (P<0.001), the number of aphthous ulcers in the last three months (P<0.001), duration (P<0.001), ulcer-free period (P<0.001) and a lower score in the subgroup of the location of oral ulcers (P=0.033), there was a significant relationship with the total score of the quality of life questionnaire. Conclusion: Lesions of recurrent aphthous stomatitis are painful and have a long treatment period. In addition, various factors contribute to the occurrence of these lesions, and patients often suffer from them. Therefore, these lesions bother the patients and according to the results of the present study, they affect the quality of life of the patients. Raising awareness about the nature of these lesions and their follow-up should be on the agenda. Also, the mental and psychological aspects of the health of the patients should be taken into consideration in the treatment approaches.

Keywords

• comdq
• quality of life
• ras
• recurrent aphthous stomatitis