Arsenic Trioxide-Induced Oral Manifestations: A Case of Vallate Papillae Swelling

Arsenic trioxide causes cell proliferation and apoptosis and is applied in hematology for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia, a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia. We present a case of arsenic trioxide-induced oral manifestations in a 75-year-old male receiving treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The patient developed tongue swelling with painful nodular lesions over two weeks, initially misdiagnosed as a fungal infection. Clinical examination showed vallate papillae swelling. Recognition of vallate papillae swelling as an arsenic trioxide-induced side effect prevented further unnecessary diagnostics and treatments.