We present a 63-year-old male patient with major depression, characterised by 
prominent somatic symptoms localised especially around the mouth, whose 
complaints started just after a prostate operation. The symptoms consisting of 
burning in the mouth, pain, dry mouth (xerostomia), an unpleasant and strange 
feeling of taste and itching, are all consistent with burning mouth syndrome. 
Burning mouth syndrome is a common disorder, usually affecting elderly females, 
characterised by intractable pain and burning in the oral cavity, evident 
especially in the tongue, together with a normal mouth mucosa. In the scientific 
literature a variety of terms are used to describe similar symptoms, such as 
glossodynia, glossopyrosis, stomatodynia and oral dysestesia. Most patients 
suffer from the syndrome for a long time, ranging from months up to years. The 
onset was reported to be gradual for most of the subjects, although many 
patients relate the onset of symptoms to previous dental procedures or to a 
previous medical illness. Burning mouth syndrome has a multifactorial etiology. 
Anxiety disorder, hypochondriasis, conversion disorder and especially depression 
may be considered amongst the psychological factors responsible for this 
situation. The psychological findings in burning mouth syndrome patients may be 
either the consequence of the chronic pain condition or its cause. It is well 
known that those patients had a relatively high percentage of psychiatric or 
psychological treatment in the past and/or present. After excluding organic 
factors, depression should be considered in old patients with predominant mouth 
complaints.