Spijkervet et al developed a rating scale for patients with head and neck cancer who developed mucositis after radiation therapy. The authors are from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands and the University of Liverpool in England.
Parameters:
(1) local sign
(2) length in centimeters
Sites examined:
(1) left buccal mucosa
(2) right buccal mucosa
(3) soft palate
(4) hard palate
(5) dorsum of tongue
(6) left border of tongue
(7) right border of tongue
(8) mouth floor
Parameter
Finding
Points
local sign
no mucositis
0
white discoloration
1
erythema
2
pseudomembrane
3
ulceration
4
length
< 1 cm
1
1 –2 cm
2
2 – 4 cm
3
> 4 cm
4
score for each site =
= (points for local sign) * (points for length)
total score =
= SUM(scores for all 8 sites)
radiation mucositis score =
= (total score) / 8
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 16
• The higher the score, the more severe the oral mucositis.
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