Oral manifestations among COVID‑19: An observational study of 713 patients

Abstract

Background: COVID‑19 outbreak in 2019 took the entire world by a storm with the medical
fraternity struggling to understand and comprehend its complex nature. A number of patients who
are COVID positive have reported oral lesions. However, there is still a lingering question, whether
these lesions are because of coronavirus infection or they are secondary to the patient’s systemic
condition. This article aims to report the oral findings of an observational study of 713 patients
diagnosed with COVID‑19.
Materials and Methods: A singlssswe‑institution, short‑term observational study was conducted
on patients admitted to Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre, Lavale, Pune who were
positive to coronavirus, who presented varied oral findings such as herpes simplex, candidiasis,
geographic tongue, and aphthous ulcer.
Results: A total of 713 patients, 416 males and 297 females, who were positive to coronavirus,
were screened from April 2020 to June 30, 2020, for oral ulcers. In this group, nine patients reported
oral discomfort due to varied forms of oral lesions ranging from herpes simplex ulcers to angular
cheilitis (1.26%).
Conclusion: This study supports the hypothesis that oral manifestations in patients diagnosed with
COVID‑19 could be secondary lesions resulting from local irritants or from the deterioration of
systemic health or could be just coexisting conditions. No specific pattern or characteristic oral
lesions were noted in a study of 713 COVID‑positive patients in our study to qualify these lesions
as oral manifestations of SARS‑CoV‑2 infection.
Key Words: Candidiasis, COVID‑19, glossitis, herpes simplex, oral ulcer