Migratory stomatitis: a case report

This case report discusses a 42-year-old male patient who presented with migratory stomatitis located on the labial and buccal mucosa and the lateral tongue border. The lesions were circumscribed, flat, smooth, and red in color with a slightly raised white border varying in size from 3 mm to over 1 cm. Duration was between 7 and 14 days and healing transpired without scarring. Follow-up continued for approximately 1 year and at each visit several lesions were seen. The possibility of stress and heredity as positive factors was considered, but with so few reported cases conclusions would be purely speculative. The absence of dermatologic pathology does not aid in establishing a relationship with psoriasis, however there is a microscopic similarity. An almost total lack of clinical symptoms may contribute to this sparse documentation, therefore dental practitioners should be articularly observant when examining oral soft tissues. Further recognition and investigation is necessary before a cause can be discovered.