Lip and oral mucosal lesions in 100 renal transplant recipients

Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) appear to be more susceptible to the development of oral mucosal disease and lip cancer as a result of graft-preserving immunosuppressive therapy. However, reports regarding these pathologies other than lip cancer are scarce and not studied in a detailed manner in this patient population.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rates and clinical features of lip lesions and oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) in RTRs.

In all, 100 consecutive RTRs (21 female and 79 male) and 79 healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects (23 female and 56 male) were screened for all pathologic and pseudopathologic lip lesions and OMLs, with special interest on precancerous and cancerous lesions. Information about possible associated risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption was also obtained. Dermatologic investigation included clinical observation and direct microscopic examination, culture, and histopathological evaluation when indicated.

One or more lip lesions, OMLs, or both were noted in every participant of both groups. Fordyce spots on the lips was the most common lesion in the patient group (73%), followed by diffuse gingival enlargement (39%), fissured tongue (35%), and oral candidiasis (26%). The last 3 disorders were significantly more common in RTRs, whereas the frequency of Fordyce spots in patients and control subjects was similar. No actinic cheilitis, lip cancer, or oral malignancy was observed.

This was a relatively small sample size for evaluating precancerous and cancerous lip lesions and OMLs, as they are less frequently observed than benign lesions.

Some of the benign OMLs (oral candidiasis and diffuse gingival enlargement) are increased in RTRs mainly as a result of the immunosuppressive therapy or drug side effects. Precancerous or cancerous lesions were not observed on the lips or the oral mucosa of our RTRs. This finding is in direct contrast with those of previous studies, yet this can be related to the limited sample size of this study regarding these lesions.