Stomatitis Stomatitis Stomatitis is inflammation of the mouth and lips. It refers to any inflammatory process affecting the mucous membranes of the mouth and lips, with or without oral ulceration. In its widest meaning, stomatitis can have a multitude of different causes and appearances. Common causes include infections, nutritional deficiencies, allergic reactions, radiotherapy, and many others. When inflammation of the gums and the mouth generally presents itself, sometimes the term "gingivostomatitis" is used, though this is also sometimes used as a synonym for herpetic gingivostomatitis. The term is derived from the Greek "stoma" (), meaning "mouth", and the suffix "-itis" (),
Aphthous stomatitis vitamin supplements only infrequently improve the ulceration. The relationship to vitamin B12 deficiency has been the subject of many studies. Although these studies found that 0–42% of those with recurrent ulcers suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency, an association with deficiency is rare. Even in the absence of deficiency, vitamin B12 supplementation may be helpful due to unclear mechanisms. Hematinic deficiencies can cause anemia, which is also associated with aphthous-like ulceration. Gastrointestinal disorders are sometimes associated with aphthous-like stomatitis, e.g. most commonly Celiac disease, but also inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. The link between gastrointestinal disorders