Question

Kathryn R. is a well-rounded 57 year old Caucasian woman. She is 5 ft 5 in tall and weights 190 lbs. She reports a history of mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation. She is allergic to penicillin and tetanus toxoid. Her medications include Inderal, Lasix, lisinopril, nifedipine, potassium, and an aspirin a day. Her blood pressure in 150/96 mm Hg, and her pulse rate is 100 bpm. She comes to your clinic wanting her teeth "cleaned" because she reports that she is afraid of dentists and has not seen one in 10 years. Because of her fear, your instructor suggests that periodontal debridement be performed under local anesthesia. On seating Kathryn in your chair, you notice that her ankles are quite swollen. Her gingival tissue is enlarged and bleeds readily on probing. She has moderate horizontal bone loss and generalized pocketing of 6-8mm. Her oral hygiene is fair, but she says she cannot get the floss "all the way back."

Which of Kathryn's medications could account for her gingival enlargement?
A. Propranolol/Inderal
B. Furosemide/Lasix
C. Nifedipine/Procardia
D. Potassium supplement
E. Aspirin

Answer 1

Nifedipine/Procardia option (C), which Kathryn is taking, is known to potentially cause gingival enlargement, a symptom she is experiencing.

Step-by-step explanation:

Kathryn's medication list includes several drugs that could have various effects on her health. When considering which medication could be responsible for her gingival enlargement, we look specifically at drugs known to cause this side effect. Out of the medications listed, C. Nifedipine/Procardia is known to potentially cause gingival hyperplasia. Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker used to treat hypertension and certain forms of angina. It is one of the medications well-documented to be associated with gingival overgrowth, especially when dental hygiene is less than optimal.