Aphthous stomatitis century BC), although it seems likely that this was oral ulceration as a manifestation of some infectious disease, since they are described as occurring in epidemic-like patterns, with concurrent symptoms such as fever. Aphthous stomatitis was once thought to be a form of recurrent herpes simplex virus infection, and some clinicians still refer to the condition as "herpes" despite this cause having been disproven. The informal term "canker sore" is sometimes used, mainly in North America, either to describe this condition generally, or to refer to the individual ulcers of this condition, or mouth ulcers of any cause unrelated to
Aphthous stomatitis (vitamin B9) supplements may prevent or reduce aphthous stomatitis reoccurrence. Surgical excision of aphthous ulcers has been described, but it is an ineffective and inappropriate treatment. Silver nitrate has also been used as a chemical cauterant. Apart from the mainstream approaches detailed above, there are numerous treatments of unproven effectiveness, ranging from herbal remedies to otherwise alternative treatments, including aloe vera, myrtus communis, Rosa damascena, potassium alum, zinc sulfate, nicotine, polio virus vaccine and prostaglandin E2. By definition, there is no serious underlying medical condition, and most importantly, the ulcers do not represent oral cancer nor are they infectious. However,