The use of tretinoin as oral mucositis prophylaxis in bone marrow transplantation patients: a preliminary study

• Published in: Oral diseases Vol. 3; no. 4; pp. 243 - 246
• Main Authors: Cohen, G., Elad, S., Or, R., Galili, D., Garfunkel, A.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.1997
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; Adolescent; Adult; bone marrow transplantation; Bone Marrow Transplantation - adverse effects; Child; Dental Care for Chronically Ill - methods; Dentistry; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa; mucositis; Pilot Projects; prophylaxis; Stomatitis - etiology; Stomatitis - prevention & control; tretinoin; Tretinoin - administration & dosage; Tretinoin - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1354-523X; 1601-0825
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-0825.1997.tb00049.x

OBJECTIVE: The examination of prophylactic efficacy of tretinoin on oral mucositis, post bone marrow transplantation (BMT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 11 patients undergoing BMT.Six tretinoin topically‐treated patients (0.25 mg daily of 0.1 % tretinoin cream) were matched with five non‐treated control patients comparing mucositis severity, duration and analgetic (morphine) requirementS. Concomitant follow‐up included conditioning parameters associated with mucositis and engraftment. RESULTS: The mean of oral mucositis peak scores was significantly lower in the tretinoin‐treated patients vs the non‐treated patients (score 1.5 vs 3.6; P < 0.02). In the majority of cases the duration of the most severe phase of oral mucositis was shorter in the tretinoin‐treated group as compared with the control. Only one patient in the experimental group required morphine analgesics compared with four patients in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study indicates that the severity of oral mucositis, both objective and subjective, in BMT patients may be reduced by 0.1% topical tretinoin cream, 0.25 mg, administered daily from the beginning of the BMT conditioning regimen until marrow engraftment.