Drug induced neutropenia manifesting as oral ulcerations

Abstract

As dental practitioners, we often come across oral ulcerations of varied etiology. Among all the causes of oral ulcers, those due to neutropenia are significant. Neutropenia can occur in many systemic conditions and also in patients on long-term therapy of certain drugs like phenytoin. The diagnosis of neutropenia in time leads to early recognition of the cause of this fatal condition. Here, we report a case of a 50-year-old female patient who developed oral ulcerations secondary to phenytoin-induced neutropenia. Early diagnosis of the condition led to discontinuation of the offending drug and significant improvement in her blood picture and also prevented her from falling prey to many other systemic infections that neutropenia can cause.

Keywords

• Neutropenia
• phenyoin
• ulcers