Prevention of recurrent aphthous stomatitis with colchicine: an open trial.

Abstract

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a common disorder with hitherto unsatisfactory drug therapy. Our purpose was to evaluate the prophylactic effect of colchicine in the treatment of RAS. An open, prospective, 4-month study was conducted in 20 patients with RAS who served as their own controls. During the first 2 months of the study no medications were given and in the last 2 months colchicine, 1.5 mg/day, was prescribed. The mean number of aphthae per week and the subjective daily pain scores were reduced by 71% and 77%, respectively, during colchicine treatment as compared with the previous period (p < 0.001 for both). No serious side effects of colchicine were noted. These findings suggest a role for continuous colchicine therapy in the prevention of RAS.