This middle aged Malaysian man presented complaining of painful gums for a few months. He is known to have had epilepsy since childhood.
Keywords: quiz; gum hypertrophy
Gingival overgrowth is a well-recognized unwanted effect associated with three major drugs / drug groups - phenytoin, cyclosporine and the calcium channel blockers. Cyclosporine is the first-choice immunosuppressant for preventing allograft rejection in patients who have received organ or bone marrow transplants. This report aims to highlight a case in which the patient on cyclosporine therapy had also contracted Hepatitis C virus infection.
Gingival overgrowth (gingival hyperplasia, gingival fibromatosis) can be caused by underlying factors such as taking certain medications or genetic in origin. The extent of the enlargement varies in different individuals and also within the same individuals. Aesthetics and effective plaque control is compromised and part of the objectives of treatment is to help in these aspects. (Copied from article).
Peripheral fibroma/fibrous epulis accounts for the great majority of localised gingival swellings as was substantiated by various reports in the literature. A study was undertaken to investigate the clinical features of a series of 204 localised fibrous gingival swellings received by the Histopathology Laboratory, Department of Oral Surgery, National University of Singapore. The female patients were more affected than the male patients and the lesions occurred predominantly among the Chinese. The lesions were mainly pedunculated and most commonly occurred in anterior maxilla. The recurrence rate was about 10.3%. In conclusion the results obtained in this study were overall in agreement with those of other authors.
Burkitt's lymphoma is a tumour that most often affects the jaws, especially in endemic areas of Africa. In non-endemic areas, the jaws are affected in about 15-18% of cases. A case is presented which demonstrates the significance of jaw lesions in the disease. The history and pathogenesis of the disease also are discussed.
Oral health is an imperative part of overall human health. Oral disorders are often unreported, but are highly troublesome to human health in a long-standing situation. A strong association exists between cardiovascular drugs and oral adverse effects. Indeed, several cardiovascular drugs employed clinically have been reported to cause oral adverse effects such as xerostomia, oral lichen planus, angioedema, aphthae, dysgeusia, gingival enlargement, scalded mouth syndrome, cheilitis, glossitis and so forth. Oral complications might in turn worsen the cardiovascular disease condition as some reports suggest an adverse correlation between periodontal oral disease pathogenesis and cardiovascular disease. These are certainly important to be understood for a better use of cardiovascular medicines and control of associated oral adverse effects. This review sheds lights on the oral adverse effects pertaining to the clinical use of cardiovascular drugs. Above and beyond, an adverse correlation between oral disease and cardiovascular disease has been discussed.
Gingival enlargement comprises any clinical condition in which an increase in the size of the gingiva is observed. It is a side effect associated with some distinct classes of drugs, such as anticonvulsants, immunosuppressant, and calcium channel blockers. Among calcium channel blockers, nifedipine causes gingival enlargement in about 10% of patients, whereas the incidence of amlodipine, a third-generation calcium channel blocker, induced gingival enlargement is very limited. Because the calcium antagonists, albeit to a variable degree, act as inhibitors of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the gene product of multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1), and inflammation may modify P-gp expression. We hereby, report a case of amlodipine-induced gingival enlargement with MDR1 3435C/T polymorphism, associated with inflammatory changes due to plaque accumulation, in a 50-year-old hypertensive male patient. The genotype obtained for the polymorphism was a heteromutant genotype, thus supporting the contention that the MDR1 polymorphism may alter the inflammatory response to the drug.
A study was undertaken to estimate the histological changes of gingival enlargement induced by
Cyclosporin A (CsA) and Nifedipine, separately and in combination. Twelve adult rabbits were divided equally into four main groups. The first group received 10 mg/kg/day Nifedipine, the second received 10 mg/kg/day CsA, and the third received a combination of 10 mg/kg /day Nifedipine and CsA by gastric feeding. The fourth was regarded as a control group. Animals were given the drugs from day 1 of the experiment until day 70. They were then sacrificed for histological purposes. Results showed increase in the thickness of the epithelium with keratosis and acanthosis, and also increased vascularity. Collagen fibres and fibroblasts at different rates in the three histological groups were observed. Significant alveolar bone resorption with increased marrow spaces filled with fatty tissue were found in the CsA group. Non-significant changes in the alveolar bone of the Nifedipine group while subsequent bone resorption and bone deposition were seen in the combination group. These changes could be due to the effect of both drugs. Significant changes in the gingiva and the alveolar bone were shown in the three experimental groups compared with the control group.
Gingival overgrowth is frequently observed in patients taking certain drugs such as calcium channel blockers, anticonvulsants and immunosuppressant. This can have a significant effect on the quality of life as well as increasing the oral bacterial load by generating plaque retention sites. Amlodipine, a third generation calcium channel blockers has been shown to promote gingival overgrowth although in very limited cases reported. The management of gingival overgrowth seems to be directed at controlling gingival inflammation through a good oral hygiene regimen. However in severe cases, surgical excision is the most preferred method of treatment, followed by rigorous oral hygiene procedures. This case report describes the management of gingival overgrowth in a hypertensive patient taking amlodipine. Combination of surgical gingivectomy and CO2 laser treatment was used to remove the gingival overgrowth. CO2 laser surgery produced good hemostasis and less pain during the procedure and post operatively. This case report has also shown that periodontal treatment alone without a change in associated drug can yield satisfactory clinical response.