Tongue pain: burning mouth syndrome vs Candida- associated lesion.

OBJECTIVE We investigated patients with tongue pain to examine whether the differential diagnosis of burning mouth syndrome and Candida-associated lesion was possible. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty patients with tongue pain were divided into three groups according to the intensity of pain at rest and that when eating using the visual analogue scale: Group A: Functional pain group. Group B: Non-functional pain group. Group C: Mixed pain group. Antifungal treatment was scheduled for patients suspected clinically, mycologically or cytologically as having candidal infection. RESULTS The results of the culture test and direct examination indicated that group A was different from others by its high positivity for Candida, a good response to the antifungal treatment was obtained. On the other hand, antifungal treatment was not useful in group B, and the low possibility of Candida infection in the direct examination supported the result in this group. In group C, the positivity of Candida and the effect of the antifungal treatment were between groups A and B. CONCLUSION These results may suggest that tongue pain in group A is Candida-associated, that in group B is burning mouth syndrome-induced and that of group C is mixed conditions.