title: Early and late oral features of chronic graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic graft-versus-host disease is a serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, and the mouth is one of the affected sites.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral features of this disease after hematopoietic cell transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional multicenter study that enrolled patients submitted to transplantation. Oral evaluations used the National Institutes of Health criteria, salivary flow rates, and the range of mouth opening. Pain and xerostomia were evaluated through a visual analogue scale. Patients were divided into two groups based on the transplantation time (up to one year and more than one year).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 57 evaluated recipients, 44 had chronic graft-versus-host disease: ten (22.72%) in the group with less than one year after transplantation, and 34 (77.27%) in the group with more than one year after transplantation. Lichenoid/hyperkeratotic plaques, erythematous lesions, xerostomia, and hyposalivation were the most commonly reported oral features. Lichenoid/hyperkeratotic plaques were significantly more common in patients within the first year after the transplant. The labial mucosa was affected more in the first year. No significant changes occurred in the frequency of xerostomia, hyposalivation, and reduced mouth opening regarding time after transplantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral chronic graft-versus-host disease lesions were identified early in the course of the disease. The changes observed in salivary gland function and in the range of mouth opening were not correlated with the time after transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra Oliveira Ferrari
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiolino
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cesar Werneck Noce
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil ; Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva Junior
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Elvira Pizzigatti
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Cláudia Rodrigues
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucio de Souza
authors.initials: Lde S
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
keywords: Chronic disease; Diagnosis, oral; Graft-versus-host disease; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation