[Non-infective oral aphthous diseases. 1. Benign recurrent aphthoses]

Recurrent oral aphthosis, a very frequent disease, is encountered most often in predisposed individuals in their second to third decade, and found twice as often in females than in males. Not only genetic but a variety of different other factors participate in the manifestation of the disease, many of them controversial as far as their significance is concerned. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (microphage) function is unimpaired. HLA-studies in affected families indicate a genetic disposition.