Aphthous stomatitis and its management

The clinical features and etiology of recurrent aphthous stomatitis are reviewed briefly. Because etiology and pathogenesis are not yet well established, recurrent aphthous stomatitis continues to be a difficult disease to treat. Several therapy modalities are discussed, including corticosteroids (both topical and systemic), antibiotics, mouth rinses, levamisole, and thalidomide. The recent literature contains several discussions of the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis with thalidomide.