Elsevier

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Volume 89, Issue 11, November 2014, Pages 1545-1552
Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Original article
A Population-Based Study of the Incidence of Burning Mouth Syndrome

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2014.05.018Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To calculate the incidence of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 2000 through 2010.

Patients and Methods

By using the medical record linkage system of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, we identified newly diagnosed cases of BMS from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2010. Diagnoses were confirmed through the presence of burning pain symptoms of the oral mucosa with normal oral examination findings and no associated clinical signs. Incidence was estimated using decennial census data for Olmsted County.

Results

In total, 169 incident cases were identified, representing an annual age- and sex-adjusted incidence of BMS of 11.4 per 100,000 person-years. Age-adjusted incidence was significantly higher in women than in men (18.8 [95% CI, 16.4-22.9] per 100,000 person-years vs 3.7 [95% CI, 2.6-5.7] per 100,000 person-years; P<.001). Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 89 years had the highest incidence of the disease, with the maximal rate observed in women aged 70 to 79 years (70.3 per 100,000 person-years). After the age of 50 years, the incidence of BMS in men and women significantly increased across age groups (P=.02). Study participants residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, were predominantly white, which is a study limitation. In addition, diagnostic criteria for identifying BMS in the present study may not apply for all situations because no diagnostic criteria are universally recognized for identifying BMS.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first population-based incidence study of BMS reported to date. The data reveal that BMS is an uncommon disease highly associated with female sex and advancing age.

Section snippets

Study Setting

The present study was approved by the institutional review boards of Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center. We assessed cases of BMS within the population of Olmsted County, Minnesota, made available through the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP). The REP is a medical record linkage system for the patient records of Olmsted County residents, which has accumulated all medical information on each patient since 1966. Practically the entire Olmsted County population receives care at a REP

Results

Between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2010, a total of 482 patients were identified as having a potential BMS diagnosis. Of the 482 patients, 191 were identified as having had a first-ever diagnosis of BMS as a resident of Olmsted County. By using our study criteria, we confirmed 169 incident cases. One hundred forty-two of the 169 patients were women (84.0%), and the women to men ratio was 5.2 (Table 2). One hundred fifty-eight patients were white (93.5%). The mean age at diagnosis was

Discussion

The present population-based study of BMS calculated an overall annual age- and sex-adjusted incidence of BMS of 11.4 per 100,000 person-years in Olmsted County from 2000 through 2010. To our knowledge, no previously published study has reported incidence rates of BMS. Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 89 years had the highest incidence of the disease, with the maximal rate observed in women aged 70 to 79 years. BMS incidence is associated with both advanced age and female sex. In addition, the

Conclusion

We report the first population-based incidence study of BMS. The data reveal that BMS is an uncommon disease highly associated with both advancing age and female sex. Typical symptom characteristics indicate mild, symmetrical, bilateral burning pain of the tongue that is continuous throughout the day. Our findings provide a foundation for further studies of BMS epidemiology. Further studies should explore the potential effect of factors such as concurrent disease and medication use on the

Acknowledgment

We thank Barbara A. Abbott, the Rochester Epidemiology Project retrieval specialist, for her expert assistance on this project.

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    Grant Support: This study was made possible by the Rochester Epidemiology Project (grant number R01-AG034676; Principal Investigator: Walter A. Rocca, MD, MPH, and Barbara P. Yawn, MD, MSc).

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