A skeptical approach to the management of persistent oral ulceration in a child

Abstract

The diagnosis of oral lesions is sometimes difficult due to both the clinician's limited experience with the conditions that may cause the lesions and their similar appearances, especially in children. Correctly establishing a definitive diagnosis is of major importance to clinicians who manage patients with oral mucosal diseases. In patients with Fanconi anaemia (FA), oral ulcers occur frequently, which are quite variable, and may lead to a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose. Here, we report the case of a 15-year-old boy who was examined for squamous cell cancer of the tongue and diagnosed as having FA without any haematological manifestations. While surgery could not be done, both radiotherapy and chemotherapy had to be decreased. He died of progressive disease 6 months after the diagnosis. Unexplained ulcers in a child with a duration longer than 2 weeks should be further evaluated, especially for FA, even without the presence of anaemia.