Enoxaparin for the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a pilot exploratory clinical trial

Low molecular weight derivatives of heparin have been recently suggested for the treatment of different diseases including oral lichen planus (OLP) due to their effectiveness and limited side effects. However, no studies have concerned the effectiveness of these agents in the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). The present study then aimed to assess this effectiveness in vivo.

Included were 30 RAS patients consecutively referred to our centers without any systemic diseases. The ulcers were examined in terms of size and number. Recurrence intervals were recorded by the patients. 1 U/0.002 mL enoxaparin was injected subcutaneously (3 mg). Injections were repeated once a week for 8 weeks. The patients were followed monthly for three months. To determine the level of pain, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) from 0 to 10 was used. The data were statistically analyzed to determine the difference between the number, size, and pain using Wilcoxon test.

It was shown that 8-stage injection of enoxaparin is associated with significantly reduced number, size, recurrence intervals, and the intensity and duration of pain of the lesions in 21 males (70%) and 9 females (30%) of the present study.

According to the limitations of the present study, systemic Enoxaparin seems successful in reducing the number, size, recurrence frequency and the duration of pain and discomfort in RAS patients without significant side effects.