Rapid progression from oral leukoplakia to carcinoma in an immunosuppressed liver transplant recipient.
Immunosuppression used to avoid graft rejection in solid organ transplantation recipients leads to a variety of side-effects, and an increased rate of infections and de novo malignancies. Oral conditions usually associated with immunosuppressive drugs include fungal and viral infection, and lip lesions, but intra-oral carcinoma has not been reported as having a high incidence. This report deals with a male liver transplant recipient receiving FK506 (5 mg/day) and prednisone (20 mg/day) who was diagnosed with a homogeneous leukoplakia on the floor of the mouth 4 months after transplantation, and 4 months later with a squamous cell carcinoma growth at the site of this lesion. The rapid transformation of the lesion suggests that in patients who display oral premalignant conditions, immunosuppression must be considered as an important risk factor for oral cancer.
Hernández
Gonzalo
G
School of Dentistry, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain. ghervall@odon.ucm.es
Arriba
Lorenzo
L
Jiménez
Carlos
C
Bagán
José Vicente
JV
Rivera
Begoña
B
Lucas
Miguel
M
Moreno
Enrique
E
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000150:complications*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000009:adverse effects; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000009:adverse effects
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011241:Prednisone; D016559:Tacrolimus