Oral mucosa symptoms, signs and lesions, in end stage renal disease and non-end stage renal disease diabetic patients.

Aim: To assess oral signs, symptoms and oral lesions (OL) type and prevalence, in diabetic patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD DM), and compare them with analogous findings in a non-ESRD DM group; analyze the possible association between oral manifestations, as well as with relevant laboratory findings. Research design. Two adult groups were studied: Group A: ESRD DM on dialysis, and group B: non-ESRD DM (serum creatinine <2.0 mg/dl). Known DM evolution time, dialysis treatment type and duration, and laboratory results were recorded. An oral exam was performed, searching for signs, symptoms and ESRD-associated OL. Associations were analyzed using Chi square, Fisher s exact test, and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Ages, time on dialysis, and laboratory results were compared with Student s t test.

Results: 229 individuals were examined, group A 99, and group B 130 pts. Signs and symptoms prevalence was higher in group A: 77.8% vs. 57.6%, (P<0.001), uremic breath (48.5%), unpleasant taste (45.5%) and xerostomia (44.4%) being the most frequent ones. OL were also more prevalent in group A; 65.6% vs. 36.9% (P<0.001). The most frequent OL were dry, fissured lips (28.3%), saburral tongue (18.2%) and candidiasis (17.2%). No difference was found in candidiasis prevalence between groups. Candidiasis was found associated to xerostomia (P<0.05) and smooth tongue (P<0.05) only in group A.

Conclusions: ESRD DM patients had a significantly higher prevalence of signs, symptoms and OLs, as compared to non-ESRD DM pts. The high prevalence of uremic fetor, xerostomia, saburral tongue and candidiasis in group A, could be tried as warning signs on the possibility of non diagnosed advanced renal disease in other diabetic patients.