WHO Mucositis Scale

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) mucositis scale is used to grade the severity of oral mucositis.1
  • It was developed as part of the WHO handbook (1979) to standardize the reporting of results and complications from cancer treatment.
    • Grade 0: No mucositis
    • Grade 1: Soreness/erythema only.
    • Grade 2: Erythema, and ulcers. Able to tolerate solids.
    • Grade 3: Unable to tolerate solids but able to tolerate liquids.
    • Grade 4: Unable to tolerate solids or liquids. Oral alimentation is not possible.

WHO Mucositis Scale (1979)

Grade Clinical Features
0 No mucositis
1 Soreness/erythema
2 Erythema and ulcers but able to tolerate solid diet.
3 Unable to tolerate solids but able to tolerate liquids
4 Unable to tolerate solids or liquids.
Oral alimentation is not possible.
  1. World Health Organization. WHO handbook for reporting results of cancer treatment. World Health Organization, 1979. ↩

Last updated September 29, 2022