Epidemiology of Angina Bullosa Hemorrhagica: A Retrospective study.

Abstract

Introduction: Angina Bullosa Hemorrhagica (ABH) is a rare condition characterized by hemorrhagic blisters and is often asymptomatic. These lesions appear more commonly in the oral cavity and oropharynx and are often misdiagnosed. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in clinically confirmed cases of ABH to study its epidemiology, etiology and presentation in a tertiary care hospital in Southern Asia.

Materials and methods: Total of 8 patients of ABH were evaluated and included in the present study. All clinical data and track records were assessed by the medical records department. Cases were studied and results were interpreted. Results: Total of 8 cases were enrolled with male-to-female ratio of 0.6:1 and middle age as the most common age of presentation. Buccal mucosa was the most common site involved with average lesion size of 1.6 cm. Masticating trauma was the most common etiological risk factor. Majority patients were asymptomatic with spontaneous resolution of lesions in all the cases.

Conclusion: Due to smaller number of studies reported, the lesions of ABH remained poorly understood with uncertain etiology. The knowledge of characteristic clinical features of the lesion and pattern of spontaneous healing is of utmost importance as a lesion of ABH can share some features with other serious disorders, thereby delaying the diagnosis. A thorough clinical history and examination of the lesion should always be done to establish an accurate diagnosis. Due to its completely benign nature, proper counseling of the patients must be ensured for better patient compliance.