The oral cavity Crohn's disease

We assessed the utility of expert or al examination as a part of the diagno stic evaluation of patients with suspected Crohn's disease. Of 45 patients with newly diagnosed CD, 25 had been examined by a dentist. Twelve (48%) of these had oral CD lesions. Mucosal tags constituted the most frequent form of oral lesion (8/12). Of 8 oral biopsy specimens, 6 (75%) contained non-c aseating granulomas. Patients with oral CD had more oral symptoms, presente d for diagnosis sooner, and were more likely to have other upper gastrointe stinal inflammation than those without oral lesions. Oral manifestations of CD are common in children; therefore, expert oral examination may be usefu l during diagnostic evaluation of children with suspected inflammatory bowe l disease.