Mycophenolate Mofetil-Induced Aphthous Stomatitis After Kidney Transplant: A Clinical Case Report

Abstract

Aphthous stomatitis, with frequent and painful aphthous ulcers (also called canker sores or simply oral ulcers) on the non-keratinized oral mucous membranes, is often a cutaneous complication in kidney transplant recipients. Mycophenolate mofetil is a drug that is part of an immunosuppressive regimen in kidney transplant recipients, along with corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors. Mycophenolate mofetil, the triggering agent for mouth ulcers in kidney transplant recipients, has been communicated in scientific literature. Herein, we report a case of multiple painful oral ulcerations secondary to mycophenolate mofetil in a 23-year-old female kidney transplant recipient. The oral ulcers resolved immediately after discontinuation of the mycophenolate mofetil. Withdrawal of mycophenolate mofetil or switching to other medicine must be considered when a patient with a kidney transplant history complains of oral ulcers and a negative workup for other etiologies.