Burning mouth syndrome: results of screening tests for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, thyroid hormone, and glucose levels-experience at Mayo Clinic over a decade.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a disorder characterized by chronic mouth pain in the absence of objective clinical abnormalities. Vitamin or mineral deficiencies may have a role in BMS, but data regarding the prevalence and relevance of hematinic deficiencies are conflicting. We aimed to determine the frequency of specific laboratory abnormalities in patients with BMS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the results of screening blood tests in patients with BMS at our institution between January 2003 and December 2013. RESULTS: Among 659 patients with BMS, the most common decreased values or deficiencies were vitamin D(3) (15%), vitamin B(2) (15%), vitamin B(6) (5.7%), zinc (5.7%), vitamin B(1) (5.3%), thyrotropin (TSH) (3.2%), vitamin B(12) (0.8%), and folic acid (0.7%). Laboratory values for fasting blood glucose and TSH were increased in 23.7% and 5.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with symptoms of BMS, our results suggest it is reasonable to screen for fasting blood glucose, vitamin D (D(2) and D(3) ), vitamin B(6) , zinc, vitamin B(1) , and TSH. Deficiencies of vitamin B(12) and folic acid were rare (<1% abnormal).