High-power laser for oral excisional biopsy in an oncologic patient with pancytopenia

Oral surgical procedures are a great challenge in cancer patients, especially those with pancytopenia, given the risk of both hemorrhage and opportunistic infection. Thus, we report herein a case of a patient with refractory acute myeloid leukemia, severe pancytopenia, and some episodes of febrile neutropenia, who presented asymptomatic, bilateral lesions on the tongue, requiring excisional biopsy. Considering the high risk of bleeding, surgical intervention was proposed with a high-power laser (HPL) at the bedside. There was no considerable bleeding and stitches were not needed. Within 48 h postoperatively, the patient reported neither pain nor further bleeding and her tongue presented normal function. The patient was under a follow-up period of about 8 months, with no lesion relapse. The HPL seems to be of great value for preventing excessive bleeding and late infection in patients with pancytopenia submitted to minor oral surgeries.