Scales for the assessment of oral mucositis

Abstract:

Oral mucositis is an inflammation of the oral mucosa and throat, and occurs as a complication of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Due to mucosal lesions, mucositis leads to an increased risk of local and systemic infections, impairs the function of the oral cavity and pharynx, deteriorates quality of life and is often a limiting factor in radiation dosing, therapy implementation and speed of treating patients. So far, a large number of scales for the assessment of mucositis have been published, which can be divided into two groups: general scales and scales that include multiple variables, but each has its advantages and disadvantages. When choosing a scale for assessing mucositis it is important to know what the scale is attempting to measure. There is a high degree of correlation between different scales, and it can be said that each is an accurate tool in assessing mucositis, but given the great similarities between the individual scales it would be more efficient to coordinate the scales according to the purpose for which they are applied. In this paper, the most common scales used in clinical practice are presented.

Key words:
oral mucositis; scales for the assessment of mucositis