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Canker sores
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Canker sores, known medically as recurrent aphthous stomatitis, are painful ulcers that keep coming back in the mouth. They are a chronic inflammation of the oral mucosa, the moist lining that covers the inside of the mouth, and their cause is still uncertain. They appear on nonkeratinized mucosa, the kind that has no layer of keratin on top.
The cause is thought to be not one thing but several. The sequence described goes like this: lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, move into the epithelium, the layer of cells on the surface; edema appears, which is fluid built up in the tissue; and keratinocytes, the cells of that epithelium, fill with small pockets, which is called vacuolization. First the area swells, and then it breaks open into an ulcer. It's like asphalt that first bulges and then breaks open into a pothole.
In the most common form, they are small ulcers, oval or round, with a red halo around them and covered by a grayish-white layer, the pseudomembrane. They heal in two weeks or less and leave no scar.
In brief
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis, or canker sores, is a chronic inflammation of the oral mucosa of uncertain cause, with recurrent painful ulcers on nonkeratinized mucosa.
Its cause is thought to be multifactorial. Lymphocytes infiltrate the epithelium, edema develops and keratinocytes become vacuolated; this produces local swelling and then the ulcer.
Like asphalt that bulges and then breaks open into a pothole.
In the most common form, the ulcers are small, oval or round, with a red halo and a grayish-white pseudomembrane, and heal in two weeks or less without scarring.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingRecurrent Aphthous Stomatitis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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