Slow-growing gingival mass

Oral focal mucinosis: A multi-institutional study and literature review

BACKGROUND

Oral focal mucinosis (OFM) is a rare benign condition of unknown etiology, considered the oral counterpart of cutaneous focal mucinosis. We report the clinicopathologic features of 21 cases of OFM in conjunction with a review of the literature.

METHODS

Clinical data were collected from the records of five oral and maxillofacial pathology services. All cases were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry (vimentin, S-100, α-SMA, CD34, and mast cell).

RESULTS

The series comprised 14 females (66.7%) and seven males (33.3%), with a mean age of 48.2 ± 20.7 years (range: 8-77 years) and a 2:1 female-to-male ratio. Most of the lesions affected the gingiva (n = 6, 28.6%) and presented clinically as asymptomatic sessile or pedunculated nodules with fibrous or hyperplasic appearance. All cases were negative for S-100 protein, CD34, and α-SMA and positive for Alcian blue staining. Conservative surgical excision was the treatment in all cases, and there was only one recurrence.

CONCLUSION

OFM is a rare benign disorder that is often clinically misdiagnosed as reactive lesions or benign proliferative processes. Dermatologists and pathologists should consider OFM in the differential diagnosis of soft tissue lesions in the oral cavity, mainly located in the gingiva.

Oral neural tumors: Clinicopathologic analysis of 157 cases and review of the literature

Background

Oral neural tumors (ONTs) are rare lesions and represent reactive or neoplastic proliferations of nerve sheath cells. The purpose of the present study is to report the clinical, demographic and histopathologic features of 157 ONTs diagnosed in a single Oral Pathology Department and review the pertinent literature.

Material and Methods

157 cases of ONTs diagnosed during a 44-year period were retrospectively collected and the diagnosis was reconfirmed by studying representative haematoxylin and eosin stained tissue sections. The patients’ gender and age, as well as the main clinical features of the lesions, were retrieved from the biopsy submission forms.

Results

The 157 ONTs represented approximately 0.4% of 35,590 biopsies accessioned during the study period. They affected 71 male and 86 female patients with a mean age of 38.4±18.8 years. They mainly appeared as asymptomatic nodules of normal or white colour on the tongue, lip mucosa and hard palate. The most common ONT was granular cell tumour (38.9%) followed by neurofibroma (19.7%), schwannoma (15.9%), traumatic neuroma (15.9%), palisaded encapsulated neuroma (8.3%) and nerve sheath myxoma (1.3%).

Conclusions

This study confirmed the rarity of ONTs. Their clinical characteristics mimic other oral lesions; thus, microscopic examination is the only mean to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

Key words:Oral neural tumors; oral neural neoplasms; neurofibroma; oral neurofibroma; schwannoma; oral schwannoma; neurilemmoma; oral neurilemmoma; granular cell tumor; oral granular cell tumor; traumatic neuroma; oral traumatic neuroma; palisaded encapsulated neuroma; oral palisaded encapsulated neuroma.

The Periodontium as a Potential Cause of Orofacial Pain: A Comprehensive Review

Introduction:

Orofacial pain of periodontal origin has a wide range of causes, and its high prevalence and negative effect on patients' quality of life make intervention mandatory. This review provides a periodontological overview of the field of orofacial pain, focusing on the entities which involve the periodontal tissues and may be the cause of this pain or discomfort.

Methods:

The study comprised a literature search of these pathologies conducted in the MEDLINE/PubMed Database. Acute infectious entities such as gingival and periodontal abscesses are emergencies that require a rapid response. Periodontitis associated with endodontic processes, necrotizing periodontal disorders, desquamative gingivitis, gingival recession, and mucogingival herpetic lesions, cause mild to severe pain due to tissue destruction and loss. Other lesions that lead to periodontal discomfort include gingival enlargement and periodontal ligament strains associated with occlusal trauma, parafunctional habit and the impaction of food or foreign bodies.

Conclusion:

A range of therapeutic, pharmacological and surgical alternatives are available for the management of these injuries. However, the wide variety of causes of orofacial pain or periodontal discomfort may confuse the clinician during diagnosis and may lead to the wrong choice of treatment.

Distribution of biopsied non plaque-induced gingival lesions in a Chilean population according to the classification of periodontal diseases

Background

Many gingival lesions are not induced by plaque. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of biopsied non-plaque-induced gingival lesions (NPIGL) in a Chilean population.

Methods

One thousand twelve cases of biopsied gingival lesions with confirmed anatomopathologic diagnosis were included, from the records of the Oral Pathology Referral Institute (OPRI), Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, between years 1990 and 2009.

Results

The most frequent non plaque-induced gingival lesions categories from biopsied cases included hyperplastic lesions, malignancies and benign neoplasms. The most frequent diagnoses in each category were fibrous hyperplasia (35.47%), squamous cell carcinoma (3.85%) and giant cell fibroma (2.08%), respectively. From all lesions, only 8.3% fitted in the specified categories of the current classification of periodontal diseases.

Conclusions

The most frequent biopsied NPIGL were hyperplastic lesions and neoplasms. These categories represent relevant lesions to be included in a future periodontal classification system to improve the care needs of the patients, as well as early diagnosis and treatment.

Oral nerve sheath myxoma: a rare and unusual intraoral neoplasm

We present a rare case of intraoral nerve sheath myxoma. Clinically, the neoplasm mimics many other oral mucosal pathosis, underscoring the importance of histopathology in ensuring accurate diagnosis of oral mucosal lesions. Reports of intraoral nerve sheath myxomas are essential to enhance our understanding of this rare intraoral entity.

Chondroid Metaplasia in a Fibroepithelial Polyp of Gingiva

Gingival masses are commonly encountered in clinical practice and can be a result of many conditions one of them could be metaplasia. Metaplasia is defined as the replacement of the lining of an organ with the type of lining normally found at another site. We are reporting a case of a 17-year-old Mexican male who presented with a pedunculated nodule associated to maxillary anterior gingiva. The histopatological examination revealed a chondroid material covered by stratified squamous epithelium and was diagnosed as chondroid metaplasia.

A giant neurothekeoma of the left shoulder blade: A case report

Neurothekeoma is a rare myxoma of the peripheral nerve sheath. The current report presents a case of a giant neurothekeoma with a partially-formed capsule, scapula erosion and unclear biological behavior, which originated in the intermuscular space between the left trapezius muscle and scapula. The patient was initially misdiagnosed with a fibromatosis using computed tomography and magnetic resonance image scanning. Diagnosis of the neoplasm was confirmed by pathological and immunohistochemical examination, revealing a neurothekeoma with unclear biological behavior. The patient underwent a wide and complete local resection. Using a comprehensive postoperative follow-up strategy, it was determined that the patient recovered well. The tumor was ~17×16×10 cm in size and was in contact with the scapula. The purpose of the present study was to describe a rare giant neurothekeoma and review the diagnostic techniques utilized to reach a definitive diagnosis. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were recommended for the diagnosis of neurothekeoma. There have been no previous reports regarding neurothekeomas exhibiting malignant transformation. Early and complete surgical resection is considered to be an effective method of treating this type of neurothekeoma.

Unusual presentation of localized gingival enlargement associated with a slow-growing odontogenic myxoma

Unusual presentation of localized gingival enlargement associated with a subjacent tumoural pathology is reported. The patient was a 55-year-old black male, whose chief complaint was a progressive gingival overgrowth for more than ten years, in the buccal area of the anterior left mandible. According to the clinical features and the radiological diagnosis of odontogenic keratocyst, a conservative surgery with enucleation and curettage was performed. Tissue submitted for histopathological analysis rendered the diagnosis of odontogenic myxoma. After 12-month of follow-up, no evidence of recurrence was found. Clinicians should be cautious when facing any gingival enlargement to avoid diagnostic pitfalls and to indicate the appropriate treatment.

Intraoral nerve sheath myxoma: case report and systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Oral nerve sheath myxoma (NSM) is an uncommon benign neoplasm with Schwann-cell origin, which is frequently mistaken for neurothekeoma. We report a case of NSM on the buccal mucosa in a 42-year-old woman. This case is compared with previously reported cases and a systematic review is performed.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We conducted a case report and systematic review of oral cases considered true NSMs. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Lilacs, Scielo, Cochrane, SciVerse Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase electronic database. Twenty-five cases of oral NSM were included in the systematic review.

CONCLUSION

Oral NSM is rare and may represent a diagnostic challenge for pathologists. To confirm the diagnosis of NSM, the evaluation of S-100 protein expression or other neural marker is essential. The use of the terms NSM and neurothekeoma as synonymous or as variants of the same tumor should be avoided, because they are clearly distinct lesions.