Dr. Lynn Cates
Specializing in pediatric infectious diseases and childhood immunizations.
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 Ask Dr. Cates
Mouth Blisters and Bruises | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Cates,
I have a niece who has a strange skin condition. She breaks out in blisters on her mouth every-so-often. Tests have been done on her--skin and blood--to try to see what the disease is, but the results were negative. We know not what this disease is and don't know how or why she got it. Strangely enough when this breakout occurs, she bruises over nothing! On top of that, her mouth seems chapped and will bleed. With this, her fingernails and her toenails will become bruised and fall off. Please help us and let us know what is going on. One nurse believes that it may be that foot and mouth disease. I would appreciate any information you could provide. Thank You.— Unhappy Uncle in West Chester, Ohio | | | ANSWER |
May 14, 2001 | | | Dear Unhappy Uncle,
I'm sorry to hear that your niece is having these problems. It is hard to know what is making her sick without seeing her and performing some laboratory tests--and even then sometimes it is not possible to pin down an exact diagnosis. The combination of mouth sores and bleeding suggests she might not have common problem. In light of her bleeding, you might want to ask her practitioner if it would be helpful to have her evaluated by a pediatric hematologist (a specialist in children's blood problems).
More common causes of mouth ulcers that usually aren't associated with the bleeding you mention are canker sores and the common childhood viral infection hand, foot and mouth disease. Canker sores are a nuisance, but not a serious problem, and all of the lab tests would be negative. Hand, foot and mouth disease can cause sores in the mouth and on the palms and soles. This infection usually goes away by itself after a few days, but it sounds as if your niece has had this problem for a while. — by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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