Angular Cheilitis

What Is Angular Cheilitis?
What Causes Angular Cheilitis?
Angular Cheilitis Risk Factors
Angular Cheilitis Symptoms
Angular Cheilitis Treatment

What Is Angular Cheilitis?

In angular cheilitis, red, swollen patches develop in one or both corners of the mouth. Cracks or blisters may also develop. The condition is also called perleche and angular stomatitis.

What Causes Angular Cheilitis?

An overgrowth of the yeast Candida is often the cause of angular cheilitis. Less common causes include infection with bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, and deficiencies in certain vitamins or minerals. Sometimes it’s not clear why angular cheilitis develops.

Angular Cheilitis Risk Factors

Anything that makes saliva collect in corners of the lips increases the risk of angular cheilitis. Dampness combined with warmth make the area an ideal environment for yeast to multiply. Angular cheilitis is common in children who suck their thumbs.

You’re at greater risk of developing angular cheilitis if the shape of your mouth or lips encourages a buildup of saliva. Poorly fitting dentures and sagging around the mouth due to aging, rapid weight loss or smoking can contribute to this problem.

You’re also more likely to develop angular cheilitis if you:

Have diabetes
Have sensitive skin
Frequently lick your lips
Produce a lot of saliva
Smoke
Have crooked teeth or a misaligned bite
Don’t consume enough nutrients, particularly B vitamins, iron and zinc
Have gum disease or other oral health problems
Regularly floss too aggressively

Certain medical conditions in addition to diabetes can make you more vulnerable to developing angular cheilitis. These include anemia, Sjogren’s syndrome, Down syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and several types of cancer, including blood, kidney, liver, lung and pancreatic cancers, as well as conditions that involve immune deficiency, such as HIV/AIDS.

Prolonged use of antibiotics and corticosteroids can also increase the risk.

Angular Cheilitis Symptoms

The symptoms of angular cheilitis range in severity from just a bit of redness to cracks and bleeding that can make eating difficult. You may have angular cheilitis if the corners of your mouth are:

Red
Swollen
Crusty or scaly
Itchy
Painful
Blistered
Cracked
Bleeding

Licking your lips makes the condition worse.

Angular Cheilitis Treatments

Angular cheilitis should be treated promptly. If an infection is the cause, it can spread to the surrounding skin or lead to oral thrush, a fungal infection of the lining of the mouth.

Depending on the cause of the angular cheilitis, a doctor may recommend:

Topical anti-fungal or antibacterial treatments
Topical steroid ointments to support healing and ease pain and itching
Certain vitamin or mineral supplements
Working with your dentist to improve the fit of your dentures
Injectable fillers if you have deep creases at the corners of your mouth
Using lip balm or petroleum jelly to create a barrier between your lips and saliva
Getting your blood sugar under better control if you have diabetes