[Degree of inflammation of the mouth mucosa in leukemia patients under cytostatic therapy].

The aim of this study is the registration and the chronological control of inflammatory alterations in the oral mucosa of patients with acute leukaemia under cytostatic treatment. Thirteen patients with acute myeloid leukaemia or acute lymphatic leukaemia were investigated in three oral regions (gingiva, buccal and palatine mucosa) before, during and after cytotoxic drug application for a period of 4-6 weeks by means of exfoliative cytology. Before therapy, patients with leukaemia showed a significant increase in the number of cells from deeper epithelial layers and a significant decrease of the keratinization index for all investigated regions. This is a consequence of the general inflammatory alteration in all mucosal areas. During cytotoxic drug application these findings were modified only for the palatine mucosa. Immediately after the end of cytotoxic drug application only the buccal mucosa showed a slight but not significant tendency for normalization. At this time, only for the palatine mucosa was there a significant tendency toward regression. The study underlines the necessity for intensive dental care of patients with acute leukaemia after treatment with cytotoxic drug, even when the oral mucosa is clinically inconspicuous, as the inflammatory activity may take place subclinically in strongly stressed or vulnerable regions of mucosa.