Perforation in Submucous Cleft Palate Due to Methotrexate-Induced Mucositis in a Patient With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Spontaneous palatal perforation can be rarely developed by several causes, such as tumor, trauma, and infection. This article reports a patient with large mid-palatal perforation after suffering from severe oral mucositis, which occurred about a month after taking methotrexate (MTX) for rheumatoid arthritis. Through computed tomography and clinical examination, this patient was diagnosed with perforation in unrecognized submucous cleft palate (SMCP) due to drug-induced mucositis. After MTX discontinuation, the oral mucositis was almost healed completely in a month, and the hole was successfully closed by palatoplasty. The author can see that the palatal perforation can occur by oral complication of MTX in SMCP patient. It is an important awareness to dentists as the use of MTX continues to increase for antirheumatic therapy.