Gingival enlargement. A comparison between cyclosporine and azathioprine treated renal allograft recipients.

The immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine (CsA) which is used to facilitate renal transplantations, has shown several side effects. Gingival hyperplasia has been demonstrated in animal experiments and also during treatment of humans. In the present study the prevalence of gingival enlargement was investigated in a group of patients treated with CsA. The results were compared with those obtained from a time matched control group of patients treated with azathioprine. The CsA treated patients showed a high prevalence of gingival enlargement, while the azathioprine treated patients showed none. Edentulous patients showed no gingival enlargement. The gingival enlargement was confined to the free gingiva and the interdental papilla, and had a rough surface, with small fissures. It was extremely fragile and bled on probing. Oral hygiene measures showed a slight reduction of the size of the gingival enlargement.