Geographic stomatitis: review of the literature and report of five cases.

Five new cases of geographic stomatitis have been presented along with data from 24 previously reported patients. For the first time, basic parameters of this disorder have been tabulated from this population. Although the earliest documented case appeared in the literature in 1955, the majority of articles has been published during the last 15 years. This increased frequency of reporting indicates a growing awareness of this rather innocuous lesion. Thus, the general practitioner is advised to become familiar with the salient features of geographic stomatitis. Prompt recognition and diagnosis of this lesion, based on the clinical findings and history, will usually mitigate the need for biopsy.