ORAL MANIFESTATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH DENGUE. A FORGOTTEN AND NEGLECTED DISEASE. CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. SALTA, ARGENTINA 2024

Ignacio Molina-Avila; Astrid Müller; Karina; Juan Pimentel Solá; Eduardo David Piemonte

doi:10.5327/2525-5711.360

Authors

Ignacio Molina-Avila Dr. Arturo Oñativia Hospital – Salta, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5269-3254
Astrid Müller Primary Care Center Laprida – Chubut, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8462-683X
Karina Universidad de Valparaíso, Faculty of Dentistry – Valparaíso, Chile. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0825-2520
Juan Pimentel Solá Señor del Milagro Hospital Salta – Salta, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8041-5657
Eduardo David Piemonte Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Faculty of Dentistry – Córdoba, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5955-1139

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5327/2525-5711.360

Keywords:

Aedes aegypti, Oral manifestation, Dysgeusia

Abstract

Objective: This study sought to identify the oral symptoms in dengue patients treated at Señor del Milagro Hospital in Salta, Argentina, from April 1 to April 30, 2024. Methods: A descriptive, observational cross-sectional study included a non-probabilistic sample of 57 patients aged over 15, diagnosed with dengue according to the OPS 2023 guidelines. Data on variables like age, sex, hematocrit, hemoglobin, platelet and white blood cell counts, along with the occurrence of bleeding, petechiae, and dysgeusia were documented.

Results: Among the 57 patients, 61.4% were female and 38.6% were male, with a mean age of 35 years (range: 15-68 years). Seventy percent of the patients had dysgeusia, whereas fifty percent demonstrated gingival hemorrhage. Only 3.5% exhibited no oral symptoms. A minor leukocytosis was noted in patients with dysgeusia (2900/mm3 leukocytes) compared to subjects without dysgeusia (3240/mm3 leukocytes), although without significant differences (p=0.19), whereas gingival bleeding and the presence of petechiae were substantially correlated with platelet count (p=0.047).

Conclusions: This study underscores the occurrence of oral manifestations in dengue patients, highlighting the necessity of their assessment in dental practice within endemic regions and advocating for additional research on these manifestations in subsequent studies.

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