Chinese herbal medicine for recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most frequent form of oral ulceration, characterized by recurrent oral mucosal ulceration in an otherwise healthy individual. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for recurrent aphthous stomatitis. METHODS: Five databases will be searched from inception to date, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE,CNKI, and CBM. The researchers will comprehensively screen clinical randomized trials of Chinese herbal medicine for recurrent aphthous stomatitis. The review will be conducted by 2 independent authors without time and language limitation. The risk of bias will be assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS: Ethical approval is not required because this study is based on published papers. After peer-review, the study will be disseminated in scientific journals and conferences. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicine for recurrent aphthous stomatitis. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42018111955.