Sucralfate vs. placebo for the treatment of aphthous ulcers: a double-blinded prospective clinical trial

Aphthous ulcers are common, painful lesions that affect the oral mucosa and for which no successful treatment has been found. Sucralfate, which acts by locally binding with the proteins at the base of an ulcer to provide a protective covering, has been suggested as a treatment for aphthous ulcers. Forty-five subjects with active aphthous ulcers were recruited into this double-blind study designed to compare treatment of aphthous ulcers using sucralfate or placebo in a powdered spray. Measures of ulcer diameter and area were recorded before and after four days of treatment and the subjects completed a daily log measuring subjective response to the treatment. Sucralfate, as used in this study, was not found to be effective in the treatment of aphthous ulcers.