Category: Pathology | Difficulty: Intermediate | Priority: Nice-to-know
Recurrent, shallow, painful ulcer of nonkeratinized oral mucosa, often idiopathic and self-limiting.
A common small, painful sore inside the mouth (canker sore).
[[canker sore; ulcer; recurrent aphthous stomatitis; shallow ulcer (see: ulcer; erosion)]]
Explain triggers like stress or trauma; usually not contagious | Pronunciation: /AF-thus/ | ICD-10: K12.0 | Common Misconception: Aphthous ulcers (canker sores) are often confused with cold sores — aphthous ulcers occur inside the mouth, are NOT caused by herpes virus, and are NOT contagious. Cold sores (herpes labialis) occur on the lip and ARE contagious.
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