Table 2.
Detailed oral manifestations at different timelines of hospitalization
| Characteristics | Total No. (%) |
Late Diagnosis No. (%) |
Early Diagnosis No. (%) |
Other Diagnosis No. (%) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Number | 185 | 74 | 65 | 46 | |
| Symptoms | |||||
| Sore throat | 91 (49.2) | 40 (54.1) | 23 (35.4) | 28 (60.9) | 0.017 |
| Drooling | 23 (12.4) | 9 (12.2) | 12 (18.5) | 2 (4.3) | 0.085 |
| Signs | |||||
| Ulcers | 156 (84.3) | 69 (93.2) | 61 (93.8) | 26 (56.5) | < 0.001 |
| Anterior oral cavity | 121 (65.4) | 55 (74.3) | 56 (86.2) | 10 (21.7) | < 0.001 |
| Posterior oral cavity | 117 (63.2) | 56 (75.7) | 36 (55.4) | 25 (54.3) | 0.016 |
| Gum swelling/bleeding | 125 (67.6) | 59 (79.7) | 60 (92.3) | 6 (13.0) | < 0.001 |
| Exudate coated of tonsils | 31 (16.8) | 12 (16.2) | 4 (6.2) | 15 (32.6) | 0.001 |
| On admission | |||||
| Ulcers | |||||
| Anterior oral cavity | 82 (44.3) | 22 (29.7)a | 50 (76.9) | 10 (21.7) | < 0.001 |
| Posterior oral cavity | 102 (55.1) | 45 (60.8) | 33 (50.8) | 24 (52.2) | 0.443 |
| Gum swelling/bleeding | 57 (31.1) | 7 (9.5)b | 48 (76.2) | 2 (4.3) | < 0.001 |
| Exudate coating | 30 (16.2) | 12 (16.2) | 4 (6.2) | 14 (30.4) | 0.003 |
| During hospitalization | |||||
| Ulcers | |||||
| Anterior oral cavity | 121 (65.4) | 55 (74.3)a | 56 (86.2)c | 10 (21.7) | < 0.001 |
| Posterior oral cavity | 117 (63.2) | 56 (75.7) | 36 (55.4) | 25 (54.3) | 0.016 |
| Gum swelling/bleeding | 125 (67.6) | 59 (79.7)b | 60 (92.3)d | 6 (13.0) | < 0.001 |
| Exudate coating | 31 (16.8) | 12 (16.2) | 4 (6.2) | 15 (32.6) | 0.001 |
aWithin Late Diagnosis group, the percentage of ulcers over anterior oral cavity increased significantly during course of hospitalization (p-value< 0.001)
bWithin Late Diagnosis group, the percentage of gum swelling or bleeding increased significantly during course of hospitalization (p-value< 0.001)
cThe difference of percentage of ulcers over the anterior oral cavity between the Early and Late Diagnosis group became insignificant during the course of hospitalization (p-value = 0.09)
dThe difference of percentage of gum swelling/bleeding between the Early and Late Diagnosis group became insignificant during the course of hospitalization (p-value = 0.051)