[BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME - A FLAME HARD TO EXTINGUISH]

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a common condition that mostly affects elderly women. This symptom presents as a severe chronic burning sensation affecting the oral cavity and especially the dorsum of the tongue and its lateral aspects. Mouth burning sensation can result from an idiopathic primary condition or evolve from a secondary problem. The difficulty in reaching a correct diagnosis and especially to determining an appropriate treatment leads to considerable dissatisfaction among patients. In this paper we review the causes and the characteristics of the primary and secondary forms of the syndrome, the means of diagnosis and known treatment options.