Stomatodynie idiopathique

Burning mouth syndrome is characterized by ongoing spontaneous pain, without direct organic cause, felt in the oral mucosa and associated with impaired quality of life. The prevalence of this condition in the general population is low (< 1%) but increases with age, especially among women during menopause. Long considered psychogenic pain due to its frequent association with an anxiety-depression context, this view has been challenged by psychophysical and neurophysiological studies that have objectified sensory alterations in most patients. Dysgeusia and xerostomia are often associated with somatosensory complaints suggesting a complex and multifactorial etiology. Available treatments are disappointing. This article reviews the different aspects of the condition.