| Oral TB |
Single |
Primary oral TB—painless, secondary oral TB—painful |
Chronic ulcer for >3 weeks, chronic cough, haemoptysis |
Ragged, indurated, and irregular margins, Trélat granules, cobblestone appearance |
| Recurrent aphthous stomatitis |
Single/multiple |
Yes |
Recurrent ulcers, spontaneous healing after 7–30 days |
Shallow ulcer, inflamed halo |
| Traumatic ulcers |
Single/multiple |
Yes |
Spontaneous healing after elimination of traumatic factor/institution of anti-inflammatory therapy |
Inflamed base, shallow or deep ulcer, margins slightly elevated |
| Malignant ulcer |
Single/multiple |
Initially—painless, later—painful |
Chronic ulcer, developing slowly |
Nodular, punched-out ulcer with irregular margins, indurated base, fixed lymphadenopathy |
| Syphilis |
Single |
No |
Ulcer lasting for 2–6 weeks, spontaneous healing |
Smooth, indurated margins |
| Histoplasmosis |
Single/multiple |
Yes |
Chronic ulcer for >3 weeks, persistent cough, pulmonary changes |
Irregular, indurated margins |
| Ulcerative lichen planus |
Single/multiple |
Yes |
Recurrent ulcers may be preceded by subepithelial bullas |
Shallow ulcer, Wickham's striae present |
