[BMS: S for syndrome or S for symptom? A reappraisal of the burning mouth syndrome].

In this article, some nosological and ethiopathogenetic aspects of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) are critically evaluated. Despite the number of papers frequently published on this subject, there is still no universally accepted definition of this disorder. Therefore, a premise on which to base an experimental approach is missing. This also leads to a lack of parameters for comparing the clinical-experimental experiences reported in various studies in this field. Moreover, it makes it rather easy to verify the absence of definitive scientific proof as well. Such proof would allow researches to consider the etiological aspects presented in the literature thus far as certain. Due to this lack of certainty, it might be prudent to introduce the concept of idiopathic (or essential) BMS to indicate a burning sensation in the oral cavity when the etiology is unknown and not correlated to noticeable local or systemic alterations. This would be true BMS. In other words, many local and/or systemic anomalies could lead to a burning type of symptomatology localised in the oral cavity but this does not constitute a sufficient requisite to indicate a diagnosis of BMS, according to the authors.