Tongue and cheek: oral lesions in pityriasis rosea

Fifty-one consecutive patients with clinical findings and history consistent with pityriasis rosea underwent a complete oral examination to search for any concomitant oral lesions. One case was omitted from the statistical analysis because the results of a rapid plasma reagin test were positive. Of the fifty remaining cases, eight patients (16 percent) were noted to have various oral lesions, all of which were asymptomatic. These findings suggest that the actual incidence of oral lesions in pityriasis rosea may be higher than previously reported. A complete oral examination in a patient presenting with a papulosquamous eruption may be helpful in ascertaining the diagnosis of pityriasis rosea.