PREVALENCE OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY AMONG PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS AND CONTROLS

Forty-nine patients with burning mouth syndrome were simultaneously ev aluated through a psychiatric interview and a psychopathologic questio nnaire (SCL-90). The same protocol was applied to a control group (n = 47) free of oral complaints and with a similar age and sex distributi on. The subgroup with burning mouth syndrome and associated psychiatri c disorders differed from the subgroup of patients without psychiatric disorders in that the former exhibited significantly more symptoms of anxiety, depression, obession, somatization, and hostility. This latt er parameter appears to be present particularly among depressed person s. No significant psychopathologic differences were observed between t he subgroup with BMS who exhibited no psychiatric disorders and the co ntrols who were free of oral disorders.