A case of papilloma associated with topical tacrolimus ointment for tongue ulcers

We report a case of tongue papilloma that developed after the topical administration of tacrolimus. A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with pain in his mouth. The diagnosis was ulcerative stomatitis. Although corticosteroids were ineffective, marked improvements were noted with the use of tacrolimus ointment. During follow-up observations, papillomas were observed on the tongue at the site of ointment application. The recurrence of papillary lesions was noted, but the lesions disappeared following the oral administration of a 5-fluorouracil formulation after pancreatic cancer surgery. In this case, tacrolimus ointment may have been associated with the formation of papilloma on the tongue.