Phenytoin Therapy

Epilepsy is described as a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures of cerebral origin, presenting with episodes of sensory, motor or autonomic phenomenon with or without loss of consciousness . A recent meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies puts an overall prevalence rate of epilepsy in India at 5.59 per 1,000 populations . Approximately 40-50% of the patients treated with phenytoin develop esthetically disfiguring enlargement of the gingivae. Whenever occurs, this adverse effect of phenytoin, lasts throughout the period of therapy and continues further with a severe reduction in the quality of life of the affected individual. Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder with recurrent seizures due to a chronic underlying process. Despite tremendous advances in the field of understanding the etio-pathogenesis of epilepsy, phenytoin still remains the drug of choice in its management. Chronic administration of phenytoin has been associated to have a number of adverse effects. Gingival enlargement is one such most often reported adverse drug sequela of long term phenytoin usage with exclusion of local factors contributing towards gingival enlargement.

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Last date updated on April, 2024