Oral staphylococcal mucositis: A new clinical entity in orofacial granulomatosis and Crohn's disease.
OBJECTIVE: Orofacial granulomatosis and the oral manifestations of Crohn's disease comprise many clinical features, of which stomatitis is one. The purpose of this study was to establish a role for Staphylococcus aureus in mucositis affecting some patients with orofacial granulomatosis or oral Crohn's disease.
STUDY DESIGN: Four patients (2 with orofacial granulomatosis and 2 with oral Crohn's disease), from a total of 450 patients examined over 10 years, had stomatitis involving the entire oral mucosa, from which S aureus was cultured by the oral rinse technique. These patients were treated with flucloxacillin or erythromycin.
RESULTS: A heavy growth of S aureus was isolated from the mouth of each patient. All 4 patients responded to treatment with flucloxacillin or erythromycin.
CONCLUSIONS: S aureus is a potential cause of panstomatitis in patients with orofacial granulomatosis or Crohn's disease. This infection responds rapidly to antimicrobial treatment.