Angular Cheilitis
Angular Cheilitis, also known as Perleche or Stomitis is an infection that is typically characterized by lesionss at the corners of the mouth. Angular Cheilitis is essentially a fungal infection that lives on the skin and often flairs up during a cold snap.
Many associate Angular Cheilitis with the flu or a flu like symptom however this is incorrect. The reason Angular Cheilitis is perceived as a flu like symptom is because of it's propensity to flair up during winter or a cold snap. Many people with dentures develop Angular Cheilitis because the angular alignment of the false teeth may be ill fitting. This leads to the mouth closing further than it should, creating small folds of skin in the corners of the mouth. Typically these pockets of skin are damp with saliva which becomes the perfect environment for incubating fungal bacteria.
