Mouth ulcer-celiac disease link noted

Recurrent mouth ulcers, known as aphthous stomatitis, could be the "sole manifestation" of celiac disease in five per cent of patients, it has been suggested.

Celiacs - who are advised to eat gluten free food due to their condition - are growing in number across the world and the BMC Gastroenterology findings could be a further tool for analysing the origins of the dietary problem.

During the study, 247 aphthous stomatitis patients with an average age of more than 33 years who had at least three aphthous attacks during the course of the year were assessed.

Researchers looked at the number of antibodies and other immune factors linked to celiac disease.

The authors of the new report said: "Gluten-sensitive enteropathy should be considered in aphthous stomatitis patients."

This would suggest that a lack of response to conventional treatment for this may indicate celiac disease risk.