skip to main content

Burning Mouth Nutritional Workup — NDEB AFK MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

ModerateOral MedicineBurning Mouth Nutritional WorkupNDEB AFK

Burning sensation of the oral mucosa with no visible clinical abnormality in a postmenopausal woman should prompt investigation for which nutritional deficiencies?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Iron, vitamin B12, and folate deficiency

Burning mouth symptoms with clinically normal mucosa should prompt investigation for secondary causes before diagnosing primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Key nutritional deficiencies to exclude include: iron (associated with angular cheilitis, atrophic glossitis, Plummer-Vinson syndrome), vitamin B12 (atrophic glossitis, paraesthesia, macrocytic anaemia), and folate (glossitis, macrocytic anaemia). A complete blood count with indices, serum ferritin, vitamin B12, and red cell folate should be ordered. Other secondary causes to exclude include diabetes, thyroid disease, candidiasis, and xerostomia.

Reference: Neville – Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 4th ed., 2016