Retrospective cross-sectional study of 34 cases of pernicious anemia at Mohammed V Military Training Hospital, Morocco

Abstract

Introduction: pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease characterized by atrophic gastritis due to malabsorption of vitamin B12. Certain oral manifestations, such as Hunter´s glossitis and burning mouth syndrome, may precede the onset of this anemia. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical presentation, para-clinical aspects, the treatment, and the evolution of the pernicious anemia (PA) after treatment.

Methods: retrospective study conducted at the Department of Haematology and Internal Medicine B of the Mohammed V Military Training Hospital in Rabat between January 2009 and December 2018. Thirty-four patients were enrolled with vitamin B12 deficiency, non-regenerative macrocytic anemia, a positive anti-intrinsic factor antibody and anti-parietal cell antibody and a histological diagnosis of atrophic gastritis in the presence or not of Helicobacter pylori. The qualitative variables were expressed in numbers and percentages, and the quantitative variables in mean and standard deviation. Multivariate analysis used the Fischer test; it was considered significant for a p < 0.05 value.

Results: thirty-four cases were studied; the population study consists of 56% (n=19) of men and 44% (n=15) of women. The average age was 54.88± 9.14. The clinical manifestations of pernicious anemia are dominated by megaloblastic anemia 85.3% (n=29), followed by digestive 58.8%(n=20) and oral 55.9% (n=19) signs. Neurological manifestations were rarely found in 41% (n=14). Hunter´s glossitis 37% (n=7), stomatodynia 11% (n=2) were the most common oral manifestations accompanying pernicious anemia. The evolution was favorable in 79.4% (n=27) patients under substitution therapy with vitamin B12.

Conclusion: dentists´ involvement in the diagnosis of pernicious anemia is based on changes in oral mucous membranes, which have been reported in 55.9% of all patients. These oral changes may occur in the absence of symptomatic anemia.