Ulcerative Diseases
Traumatic Ulcer
aka Traumatic Ulceration · Factitious Ulcer
Painful mucosal ulcer resulting from mechanical, thermal, or chemical injury with identifiable cause.
Red Flags
- ·No healing >2 weeks
- ·Indurated margins
- ·Lymphadenopathy
§ figuresFigures (1)
Fig. 1Micrograph showing a traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophils, abbreviated TUGSE. H&E stain. Related images TUGSE - extremely low mag. TUGSE - extremely low mag. TUGSE - very low mag. TUGSE - low mag.
“Traumatic ulcerative granuloma with stromal eosinophils - alt -- extremely low mag” · Nephron · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Verified open-access images only, reproduced for education under their stated licences · no AI-generated or illustrative artwork · Traumatic Ulcer figures pending faculty review.
§ overviewOverview
Break in oral mucosa due to extrinsic injury.
§ icdICD Classification
K12.0
§ etiologyEtiology
- 01Sharp tooth/restoration
- 02Denture irritation
- 03Accidental biting
- 04Burns (hot food)
- 05Chemical injury (aspirin burn)
§ epidemiologyEpidemiology
Extremely common; any age.
§ pathogenesisPathogenesis
Epithelial disruption → exposure of connective tissue → inflammatory response → healing.
§ clinicalClinical Features
- 01Painful ulcer with erythematous halo
- 02Yellow-white fibrin base
- 03Adjacent to identifiable traumatic source
- 04Heals within 10–14 days after cause removal
§ differentialDifferential Diagnosis
- 01Aphthous ulcer
- 02SCC
- 03Syphilitic chancre
- 04TB ulcer
§ investigationsInvestigations
- 01Clinical + removal of cause
- 02Biopsy if no healing in 2 weeks
§ treatmentTreatment
- 01Remove traumatic agent
- 02Smooth sharp edges
- 03Topical analgesics/steroids
- 04Chlorhexidine rinse
§ complicationsComplications
- 01Secondary infection
- 02Chronic traumatic ulcer if cause persists
§ prognosisPrognosis
Excellent; heals rapidly after cause removed.
§ examKey Examination Points
- 01Identifiable cause
- 02Heals 10-14 days
- 03Biopsy if non-healing
§ revisionQuick Revision Summary
- 01Cause-related ulcer
- 02Remove cause = healing
- 03Biopsy if >2 weeks
§ vivaBDS Viva Questions
- 01When would you biopsy a traumatic ulcer?
- 02How do you differentiate from SCC?
- 03What is Riga-Fede disease?
§ mcqsMCQs — Assessment (3)
Question 1
Traumatic ulcer should heal within:
Question 2
Indication for biopsy:
Question 3
Riga-Fede disease is:
§ evidenceReferences & Evidence
Current Classification
WHO Classification of Tumours Online — Head and Neck
IARC / WHO · 2022
Continuously updated online edition of the WHO head and neck tumour classification.
Evidence summary
Highest level of evidence linked to this page: WHO / Official Classification.
- L1 · Classification — 1
- L6 · Textbook — 3
1 linked source was published from 2024 onwards. Where guidance is limited or contested, rely on the higher-level sources above rather than this summary. Educational use only — not a substitute for clinical judgement.
Content last reviewed
September 2026
Evidence last reviewed
September 2026
Next scheduled review
September 2027
Review status
EVIDENCE REVIEWED
Search latest PubMed evidence
Last literature search: 7 September 2026
Current Classification
IARC / WHO. IARC · 2022
Continuously updated online edition of the WHO head and neck tumour classification.
Histopathology References
Barnes L. CRC Press · 2008
Detailed histopathological reference for head and neck diagnostic criteria.
Textbook References
Neville BW, Damm DD, Allen CM et al.. Elsevier · 2024
Standard reference textbook of oral and maxillofacial pathology used throughout this atlas.
Rajendran R, Sivapathasundharam B. Elsevier · 2020
Undergraduate and postgraduate oral pathology textbook widely used in BDS and FCPS curricula.
Additional sources cited on this page
- Neville BW. Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, 4e
Draft — pending faculty review. Educational use only; verify against current guidelines and primary sources before clinical application.