Definition and etiology Thermal burns to the oral mucosa are fairly common, usually due to contact with very hot foods, liquids, or hot metal objects.
Clinical features Clinically, the condition appears as a red, painful erythema that may undergo desquamation, leaving erosions (Fig. 46). The lesions heal spontaneously in about a week. The diagnosis is made exclusively on clinical grounds.
Differential diagnosis Chemical burn, traumatic lesions, herpes simplex, aphthous ulcers, drug reactions.
[alert]Recommended Links:
⇒ Traumatic Erythema
⇒ Balanitis
⇒ Hairy Leukoplakia
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Treatment No treatment is required.
Fig. 46 Erosions on the dorsum of the tongue, caused by very hot food.
