10/9/08 - New burning mouth syndrome research reported from University of Milan

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10/9/08 - New burning mouth syndrome research reported from University of Milan



2008 OCT 9 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to a study from Milan, Italy, "Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) or stomatodynia is characterized by a spontaneous burning pain in the oral mucosa without known cause or recognized treatment (see also Burning Mouth Syndrome). This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-center study evaluated the effects of systemic Hypericum perforatum extract in patients with BMS."

"Forty-three patients participated, of whom 39 (35 women, four men, aged 64.9 +/- 4.7 years) completed the study. The patients took indistinguishable 300-mg capsules containing either H. perforatum extract (hypericin 0.31% and hyperforin 3.0%) or placebo three times a day for 12 weeks. The intensity of burning pain was evaluated using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) before the first dose and at visits after 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Furthermore, we also recorded the number of oral mucosa sites with reported burning symptoms and the self-reported descriptions of the patient's condition before and after the treatment. Pain, measured using the VAS, was similar at the beginning of the study and even though a slightly better performance in the test group, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.2216)," wrote A. Sardella and colleagues, University of Milan.

The researchers concluded: "The results failed to demonstrate that 300 mg of H. perforatum extract taken three times a day for 12 weeks improved the pain of BMS patients, although the general reduction in the number of sites with reported burning sensation, a less accurate and objective score, was significant."

Sardella and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine (Hypericum perforatum extract in burning mouth syndrome: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, 2008;37(7):395-401).

For more information, contact A. Sardella, University of Milan, School Dental, Unit Oral Pathology & Medical, Clinic Odontoiatr, Via Beldiletto 1, I-20142 Milan, Italy.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine is: Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Rd., Oxford OX4 2DQ, Oxon, England.


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