The dentist's role in the prevention and management of necrotizing stomatitis in the immunosuppressed

Advances in transplant medicine and availability of effective immunosuppressive regimens have dramatically improved survival for patients afflicted with end-stage organ failure. However, chronic immunosuppression predisposes transplant patients to infection caused by a wide spectrum of endogenous or exogenous pathogens as well as necrotizing periodontal conditions. This article reviews clinical features, diagnosis, and management of necrotizing stomatitis in the context of therapeutic immunosuppression and discusses the integral function of dentists in eliminating oral foci of infection in preparation for transplantation as well as life-long maintenance of oral health post-transplant. We also present a renal transplant patient who developed massive soft and hard tissue necrosis in the anterior mandible. Disproportionate periodontal destruction in relation to local factors raised suspicion of iatrogenic overimmunosuppression, and he was hospitalized for management of profound neutropenia. Keywords: immunosuppression, infection, necrosis, stomatitis, transplant