Symptoms
Mouth corner rhagades manifest as inflamed tears in the area of the corners of the mouth. The symptoms are often bilateral and and often involve the adjacent skin. Other symptoms include redness, scaling, pain, itching, crusting and dehydration. Mouth cracks are uncomfortable, bothersome and often slow to heal.
Causes
Typical causes and risk factors include: Irritant factors:
- Cold, dry air, humidity
- Frequent moistening of the lips with the tongue
- Braces and dentures
- Pacifier (Nuggi), saliva
- Dental treatments
Infectious diseases:
- Bacteria and/or fungi (, oral thrush), both pathogens are also detected.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies:
- Vitamin deficiency, especially of vitamins of the B complex.
- Iron deficiency, anemia
- Zinc deficiency
- Malnutrition, anorexia
Skin diseases:
- Atopic eczema
- Contact eczema, e.g. due to cosmetics and care products.
- Psoriasis
Systemic diseases:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Dry mouth, Sjögren’s syndrome
- HIV
Pharmaceuticals:
- Adverse effect of drugs, for example, retinoids (acitretin, isotretinoin), antibiotics and immunosuppressants.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made in medical treatment on the basis of the clinical picture, physical examination (including oral cavity) and with laboratory methods (blood values, pathogen detection). Differential diagnoses include cold sores and lichen planus, for example.
Drug treatment
Treatment depends on the cause. The following are the main treatment options. Ointments with antibiotics, antifungals, and glucocorticoids:
- Ointments containing antibiotics, antifungals, and glucocorticoids simultaneously are often prescribed. If the cause is known, monopreparations with only one active ingredient from these groups can also be used.
Disinfectants:
- Instead of antibiotics and antifungals can also be applied locally compatible antiseptics in the form of ointments, which are effective against the pathogens.
Herbal remedies:
- Another alternative is to consider herbal remedies, for example, with chamomile, calendula, witch hazel or tea tree oil.
Vitamins, minerals and trace elements:
- Such as the vitamin B complex and iron are indicated if there is a corresponding deficiency. This should be clarified in advance. Also possible is a therapy attempt with a multivitamin preparation.
Skin care:
Concomitant oral thrush must be treated with appropriate antifungal agents, see under oral thrush.