Current approaches to the treatment of acute herpetic stomatitis in children: authors’ experience and a clinical case

Acute herpetic stomatitis (AHS) is one of the most common viral diseases in children, characterized by specific oral mucosal rashes, epithelial damage, a local inflammatory reaction, and severe pain. The choice of therapies for this condition is broad, but not all of them meet the basic requirement with rapid, effective, and painless healing of the oral mucosa. The search and clinical testing of emerging topical drugs with pharmacological properties that support their use in dental practice for the treatment of AHS in children are relevant. Authors’ experience of treating patients with AHS of varying severity demonstrates the high efficacy and safety of Cholisal® gel, which contains choline salicylate and cetalkonium chloride. When applied topically, choline salicylate is rapidly absorbed by the oral mucosa and exerts analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Cetalkonium chloride has antimicrobial effects, including antiviral. Cholisal® rapidly relieves pain in the affected areas of the oral mucosa, and within a few minutes of application, the pain subsides, allowing children to eat without discomfort. In addition, Cholisal® accelerates epithelialization and reduces the overall duration of the disease. A case of AHS in a 4-year-old girl was presented with an unsuccessful attempt at treatment by her parents, which subsequently required an integrated approach to therapy, including Cholisal® gel, proteolytic enzyme applications, antiseptic treatment of the oral cavity, local etiotropic therapy, keratoplastic agent with a sparing diet. As improvement progressed, the patient was switched to monotherapy with Cholisal® gel until complete symptom relief was achieved.