Recurrent aphthous stomatitis

What it means

Recurrent episodes of ulceration of the oral mucosa, typically presenting as painful, sharply circumscribed fibrin-covered mucosal defects with a hyperemic border.

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis can be classified into three forms, with minor ulcers (over 80% of RAS cases) being less than 1 cm in diameter and self-limiting; major ulcers being over 1 cm in diameter with potential scar formation; and herpetiform ulcers manifesting as recurrent episodes with multiple small ulcers throughout the oral mucosa.

Rare diseases that can present with this11

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Aphthous stomatitis · Buccal aphthous ulcers · Recurrent aphthous ulcers · Recurrent oral aphthae