Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-26-2025
Abstract
The gingiva (gums) is often a site in the mouth where changes or reactions can occur in response to certain systemic medications. Some drugs, particularly those used to treat autoimmune conditions or following organ transplants, can cause the gums to grow excessively, a condition known as drug-induced gingival enlargement (also known as gingival overgrowth). In this report, we document the case of a 27-year-old woman with lupus nephritis who developed gingival enlargement after starting a medication called voclosporin. This drug is a newer treatment option for lupus nephritis, but until now had not been linked to gingival enlargement. The patient experienced significant gum swelling, bleeding, and pain, making it difficult for her to eat. After trying nonsurgical treatments with limited success, and given her objection to surgical therapy, the medication was gradually stopped in consultation with her physician. The enlargement of the gums significantly improved once the drug was discontinued. This report highlights for the first time, to the authors' knowledge, the development of gingival enlargement in response to voclosporin therapy and the significant improvement of the condition upon cessation of drug usage.
Keywords
calcineurin inhibitors, gingival overgrowth, lupus nephritis, peridontal disease, systemic lupus, erythematosus, voclosporin
Language
English
Publication Title
Clinical Advances in Periodontics
Rights
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/), which permits non-commercial copying and redistribution of the material in any medium or format, provided the original work is not changed in any way and is properly cited.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Racca F, Greco JM, Tatakis DN. Voclosporin-induced gingival enlargement: A case report. Clin Adv Periodontics. 2025; 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1002/cap.10369
Manuscript Version
Final Publisher Version