Differential diagnosis and treatment of benign gingival growths – epulis

Abstract:

Epulis is any tumor like enlargement. It is a benign lesion of the gingiva or alveolar mucosa resulting from chronic irritation. External appearance resembles a tumor, while histologically it looks more like a transitional form of an inflammatory process. Histopatological analysis is used as the most important method for differentiating epulis from other similar conditions on the gingiva. It occurs in several histological forms: Epulis gigantocellularis, Epulis fibromatosa, congenital epulis, Epulis gravidarum, Epulis fissuratum, pyogenic granuloma and irritation fibroma. The importance of epulis is that it is a relatively frequent formation, under whose similar clinical appearance can be different histopathological material. Such a collection of different processes under one name, which emerged on the basis of localisation, without histopathological confirmation, does not offer the correct information for the surgeon. Each epulis should be treated with caution and as soon as possible send for histopathological analysis.

Key words:
epulis; epulis gigantocellularis; epulis fissuratum; epulis gravidarum; epulis fibromatosa; treatment