Exfoliative cheilitis associated with titanium dental implants and mercury amalgam

Exfoliative cheilitis is an uncommon chronic inflammatory condition that generally affects the vermilion of the lips. Its cause is still largely unknown an there is no effective treatment. Here we report of a case of exfoliative cheilitis possibly caused by mercury-containing dental amalgam in close proximity to dental titanium implant in a 41-year-old woman. By patch-testing, she was tested positive to thimerosal, palladium, gold, nickel, and copper. There was a strong temporal relation between last titanium dental implant and the onset of exfoliative cheilitis. Clinicians should be aware that exfoliati-ve cheilitis might be associated with an allergy to intraoral dental metals and that titanium dental implant should not be implanted in the vicinity of the mercury-containing dental amalgam filling, even in presence of mercury amalgam as root-end filling material. (J Dermatol Case Rep. 2011; 5(4): 89-90).