Angular cheilitis clinical symptoms

Angular cheilitis typically presents with symptoms such as erythema, blistering, cracking, erosion, crusting, and desquamation at the corners of the mouth. These symptoms may be accompanied by pain, particularly noticeable during mouth opening or eating. The causes of angular cheilitis are varied, including malnutrition, infections, and contact with allergens. Among these, malnutrition-related angular cheilitis is especially common in individuals with deficiencies in B vitamins. Malnutrition-related angular cheilitis manifests as moist whitening, erosion, or ulceration at the corners of the mouth, often accompanied by horizontal fissures that may extend from the angles of the mouth toward the oral mucosa or perioral skin. These fissures vary in depth and length, and pain becomes evident upon stimulation. Additionally, bacterial angular cheilitis and fungal angular cheilitis are caused by infections such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Candida albicans. Symptoms include moist whitening, erosion, ulceration, suppuration, bleeding, and crusting at the corners of the mouth, which may also be accompanied by cheilitis and lip mucosal erosion. Once related symptoms appear, timely medical consultation is recommended to determine the cause and implement targeted treatment.