Oral granulomatosis-like lesions in liver-transplanted pediatric patients

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated oral mucosal lesions in liver-transplanted children.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation between 2002 and 2009, at A.C. Camargo Hospital, Sao Paulo-SP. Alterations, such as polypoid lesions over the dorsum of the tongue, lip swelling, angular cheilitis, fissures of the lips, mucosal tags, cobblestone appearance, and fissures of the tongue, were considered as orofacial granulomatosis (OFG)-like lesions. All clinical data were collected from medical records. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression were used to characterize and identify OFG-like lesion predictors.

Results: Of the 265 transplanted children, 56.6% were female, and 64.1% had biliary atresia. Fourteen patients died as a consequence of the transplantation surgery and were therefore excluded from the analysis related to oral lesions. Hence, among 251 patients, 64 showed OFG-like lesions. The lesions occurred around 26 months after transplantation, and the only therapy that all the patients were receiving in common was tacrolimus. Furthermore, patients aged 12 months old or less at transplantation presented higher risk to present oral lesions.

Conclusions: This study described specific oral mucosal lesions in liver-transplanted children. Such lesions have recently been described as a novel entity. Although young age at transplantation has been associated to its development, the etiology of this condition is uncertain.

Keywords: children; liver transplantation; oral mucosa; oral side effects; tacrolimus.