Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) frequently affects the oral cavity. The purpose of this study was to estimate the efficacy of combined topical dexamethasone (DEX) and tacrolimus (TAC) solutions in the management of oral cGVHD. The records of 14 patients with oral cGVHD treated with combined topical DEX/TAC were reviewed retrospectively. Pre-to-post treatment changes in subjective and objective measures were evaluated at a median follow-up of 60 days. Serum TAC levels were examined. Marginal objective improvement was detected at followup. The median pre-to-post treatment differences were 0.5 (range, À1 to 1) for erythema score, and 0.5 (range, 0 to 2) for lichenoid score, (P ¼ 0.06, 0.07 and 0.02, respectively). Subjective improvement was noted in three of four measures at the follow-up visit. The median differences in pain, sensitivity and dryness scores were 1 (range À1 to 6), 1 (range À3 to 5) and 2.5 (range, À5 to 5), respectively (0-10 scale, Po0.05). Four patients (37%) showed increased serum TAC levels; however, all remained within therapeutic range. In conclusion, combined topical DEX/ TAC therapy appears to be effective in reducing symptoms attributable to oral cGVHD. Our data has shown minimal evidence of systemic TAC absorption.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.