Introduction: The development of pyogenic granuloma of the tongue is rare. We report such a case in a patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease.
Case report: A 5-year-old girl was treated with allogenic bone marrow transplantation for aplastic anemia. Complications consisted in chronic graft-versus-host disease with cutaneous, mucosal and hepatic involvement. Seven months later, a voluminous pyogenic granuloma of the tongue developed on previous erosive lichenoid lesions of chronic graft-versus-host disease while the patient was under cyclosporin. Surgical resection was done. Relapse occurred and treatment was identical.
Discussion: Six cases of pyogenic granuloma of the oral cavity in chronic graft-versus-host disease have been reported in the literature. Pyogenic granuloma must be considered in tumoral lesion of the oral cavity of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease. All patients had erosive lichenoid lesions and were under cyclosporin; its role in the genesis of these lesions is debated. Treatment relies on surgical resection confirming the diagnosis.