Oral carcinoma development after 23 years of renal transplantation

Renal transplant patients are treated with immunosuppressive drugs that decrease the effectiveness of the immune system, making them more prone to developing cancer. Skin and lip carcinomas are common malignancies encountered after transplantation, whereas oral carcinomas are rare. We report the case of a 51-year-old female Caucasian patient, with no history of smoking, who presented white lesions on the tongue and an ulcerated lesion on the lower lip beginning 4 months prior. Diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma for both lesions was made following incisional biopsies. Interestingly, the patient reported a renal transplantation 23 years prior, and was maintained on a combination of cyclosporine, mycophenolate sodium and prednisone. The patient also presented a history of several basal and squamous cell carcinomas on sun-exposed areas of the skin. Both lesions were surgically excised. No sign of recurrence or new lesions in the oral cavity have been observed; however, new skin lesions are frequently diagnosed. This case report highlights that oral cancers may occur in transplant patients in the absence of classical risk factors. Thus, clinicians must be aware of the importance of thorough oral examination in transplant patients in routine follow-up.

Endoscopia de contato (microestomatoscopia) nas lesões da boca e do lábio: avaliação do método / Contact endoscopy (microstomatoscopy) in oral lesions: evaluation of the method

OBJETIVO: Descrever as dificuldades da endoscopia de contato aplicada à boca e ao lábio (microestomatoscopia de contato) e aplicar nas lesões do lábio os critérios usados na endoscopia de contato de outras topografias. MÉTODO: Estudo prospectivo utilizando o endoscópio de contato Storz 8715A e o corante azul de toluidina. Vinte exames foram feitos para aprendizado da técnica e depois mais 31 (21 lesões do lábio e 10 da boca), todos exames in vivo. Os critérios avaliados foram: Celularidade, Arquitetura, Estratificação e Morfologia. RESULTADOS: A falta de nitidez, os tremores finos e o deslizamento do aparelho dificultaram o procedimento em 100 por cento dos casos, mas permitiram um exame adequado. Os 13 diagnósticos de malignidade das lesões do lábio apresentaram todos os critérios alterados. CONCLUSÃO: as dificuldades encontradas foram o contato do aparelho com a superfície anatômica, o deslizamento do aparelho, os tremores finos e a falta de nitidez da imagem, que não inviabilizaram a realização e a interpretação do exame. Os critérios são aplicáveis às lesões da boca e do lábio inferior.

BACKGROUND: 1- To describe difficulties of contact endoscopy related to mouth and lip (contact microstomatoscopy) and 2- apply the criteria used in contact endoscopy of other topographies when lip lesions are diagnosed. METHODS: A prospective study was performed with the contact endoscope Storz 8715A and toluidine blue was used. Twenty examinations were accomplished in order to learn the technique; after that, other 31 were included (21 lip lesions and 10 oral lesions), all in vivo examinations. The criteria assessed were: cellularity, architecture, stratification and morphology. RESULTS: Lack of image clearness, slight tremors and sliding of the equipment made the procedure difficult in 100 percent of the cases; even though, accomplishment of proper examination was obtained. The 13 cases of lip malignancy lesions had the criteria altered as a whole. CoNCLUSION: Difficulties found were the contact of the equipment with anatomic surface, the sliding of the equipment, the slight tremors, and the lack of image clearness. Nevertheless, such elements did not interrupt the accomplishment and the examination analysis. The criteria are applied to oral and lower lip lesions.