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Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity. The clinical features of gingival SCC include alveolar bone loss and erythematous lesion. Therefore, gingival SCC sometimes presents as advanced periodontitis. This case report describes a patient diagnosed with gingival SCC after the extraction of molars presenting as being affected by localized severe periodontitis., Methods: The patient was a 61-year-old man whose chief complaint was pain in the left maxillary area. Clinical and radiographic examinations revealed common findings of a periodontal abscess on the left maxillary first and second molars. These teeth were extracted based on a diagnosis of a periodontal abscess. Three months later, a rapidly growing exophytic soft tissue mass was observed, and a biopsy of the mass was performed., Results: According to the biopsy, the final diagnosis was a well-differentiated SCC. The patient was treated with a partial maxillectomy of the left maxilla and split-thickness skin graft. Two years after treatment, the patient remained free of recurrence., Conclusions: Gingival SCC is quite different from other forms of SCC, mimicking localized periodontal disease. Therefore, it can be misdiagnosed as localized periodontal disease and is generally discovered after extracting teeth. Therefore, clinicians must diagnose these lesions carefully and follow up with the patient after tooth extraction.

Background: Gingival melanoacanthoma is an uncommon reactive lesion, typically appearing as a solitary pigmented macule. This article reports a previously undescribed case of multifocal melanoacanthoma affecting the maxillary and mandibular gingiva and the hard palate. A literature review of melanoacanthoma of the gingiva is also provided., Methods: An otherwise healthy 60-year-old white female sought care for a periodic dental prophylaxis. The intraoral examination was remarkable for numerous painless, brown macular lesions in all four gingival quadrants and on the hard palate (eight on the gingiva and six on the palate). The lesions ranged in size from 2 to 4 mm. The patient had only been aware of one of these lesions, estimating its existence to be <1-year duration. The unusual and widespread presentation of these lesions warranted biopsy., Results: On microscopy, all surgical specimens revealed an acanthotic population of epithelium, with dendritic melanocytes distributed throughout, and numerous melanophages contained in the connective tissue. The dendritic melanocytes were immunoreactive for HMB-45 and S-100. Ultrastructural studies confirmed the presence of keratinocytes and dendritic melanocytes containing melanosomes. A 5.5-month follow-up recall disclosed six new pigmented lesions (four on the gingiva and two on the hard palate), clinically identical to the previously discerned melanoacanthomas. There has been no recurrence of any of the biopsied lesions., Conclusions: Gingival melanoacanthomas may present as a solitary lesion or involve multiple sites. Pigmented gingival lesions of recent origin and without etiologic factors should undergo histopathologic review. A conservative biopsy for gingival melanoacanthoma may be sufficient for lesion identity and definitive treatment.

Background: Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a complex disease, characterized by a necrotizing vasculitis that usually involves the upper airways, lungs, and kidneys; occasionally, other organs may also be affected. Because of the severity and rapid progression of the disease, early diagnosis and treatment are critical; this type of vasculitis is potentially fatal if left unchecked., Methods: A 64-year-old woman presented with a chief complaint of a gingival mass that had appeared 2 months before and had grown rapidly. In the previous months she complained of malaise without weight loss. An intraoral examination revealed the presence of a solitary gingival mass, 2 cm in diameter, affecting the area above the upper central incisors. The lesion displayed a granular, erythematous, speckled surface with petechiae, characteristic of WG., Results: A biopsy of the lesion, a thoracic computed tomography, and the presence of high titers of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in the blood established the diagnosis of WG. An initial combination therapy of prednisone and cyclophosphamide successfully abated most of the patient's symptoms., Conclusions: The occurrence of an extremely rare tumor-like form of strawberry gingiva was the primary clinical sign that led to a diagnosis of WG. This case emphasizes the important role of the dentist in the diagnosis of this potentially fatal disease.

Background: Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative malignancies that may be associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). NHL can disseminate to extranodal sites; however, its dissemination to the jaws and mouth is not common. This report presents and discusses two unusual cases of gingival primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (PE-NHL) as the first manifestation of AIDS., Methods: Two males presented with asymptomatic gingival swelling. They were examined clinically. Biopsies of the gingival tissue were evaluated using routine histologic techniques and immunohistochemistry. The patients were tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection., Results: The clinicopathological evaluation and the serological HIV examination of the patients led us to the final diagnosis of gingival PE-NHL as the first manifestation of AIDS. Both patients were referred to an oncologist and to an infectious disease specialist and were given antineoplastic chemotherapy and highly active antiretroviral therapy. Only one patient presented a favorable clinical evolution., Conclusion: The present case reports have important clinical implications; the two unusual presentations of gingival PE-NHL contribute to information about the differential diagnosis of rapidly progressing gingival swelling.

Background: Metastasis of a malignant tumor to the oral cavity is rare, but it can be the first manifestation of a primary tumor., Methods: The clinicopathologic features of a gingival metastasis originating from lung adenocarcinoma in a female patient are described. A 57-year-old woman showed a rapidly growing, painless, exophytic mass in the left mandibular gingiva. The whole lesion was excised, and histologic and immunohistochemical analyses were performed., Results: The histopathologic sections showed a proliferation of poorly differentiated spindle and pleomorphic cells. Because the differentiation between carcinoma and sarcoma of spindle cell tumors was difficult, additional immunohistochemical evaluation was performed. The intraoral healing after tumor removal was uneventful. The discrepancy between the histopathologic results and the clinical findings led to a thorough examination by the patient's physician. Finally, a biopsy of the lungs confirmed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with multiple metastases, including the oral cavity., Conclusions: An exophytic lesion on the gingiva can be the first sign of metastatic adenocarcinoma to the oral mucosa. This case emphasizes that even apparently benign-looking gingival lesions in anamnestically healthy patients need to be examined histopathologically.

Background: Nerve sheath myxoma (NSM) is an extremely rare benign neoplasm in the oral cavity. This paper describes the first case, to our knowledge, of NSM in the gingival mucosa of an 84-year-old female patient., Methods: Intraoral examination revealed a painless and well-defined nodule in the lingual gingival mucosa of the right mandibular lateral incisor, which measured approximately 1.0 cm in diameter. The lesion was fully excised under local anesthesia, without intercurrences. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed in 5-microm sections for histopathologic analysis. Immunohistochemical reactions against vimentin and S-100 protein were carried out in 3-microm histologic sections in accordance with manufacturers' instructions., Results: The patient's medical history and an extraoral exam did not reveal other abnormalities. The patient wore a removable partial denture in the affected area. A trauma-induced gingival hyperplasia was the main diagnostic hypothesis. Microscopically, the lesion was composed of an abundant myxoid matrix and stellated and spindle-shaped cells arranged in lobules separated by fine fibrous septa. The cells presented strong positivity for vimentin and S-100 protein. According to the histopathologic and immunohistochemical features, the diagnosis of NSM was established. After 9 months of treatment, no signs or symptoms of recurrences have been observed., Conclusion: Although NSM is an extremely rare oral tumor, it should be considered in the clinical differential diagnosis of gingival nodules.

Background: A dentinogenic ghost cell tumor is a locally invasive neoplasm that is characterized by ameloblastoma-like islands of epithelial cells in a mature connective tissue stroma., Methods: A 43-year-old male patient presented a well-circumscribed sessile, exophytic mass of the gingiva with a diameter of 2 cm located in the canine area of the right maxilla. The lesion was enucleated., Results: The lesion showed odontogenic epithelium, ghost cells, dentinoid material, and giant cells. The final microscopic diagnosis was a dentinogenic ghost cell tumor., Conclusions: A dentinogenic ghost cell tumor is an extremely rare tumor, and only a few cases have been reported in the English literature. The peripheral, extraosseous lesion can be easily confused with other gingival lesions such as reactive or inflammatory lesions or other peripheral odontogenic tumors. The clinical appearance of all of these lesions is similar; therefore, the definitive diagnosis depends on histology, and a biopsy with a microscopic examination is mandatory.

Background: The similarity between gingival squamous cell carcinoma (GSCC) and more common periodontal lesions may lead to a delay in diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Neoplastic lesions of gingival tissues are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage., Methods: To assess the relative time from when patients first become aware of the problem to histopathologic diagnosis (total diagnostic time), 59 consecutive oral cancer cases were examined in this study. The following variables were considered: age, gender, smoking habits, tumor stage at diagnosis, and total diagnostic time. The median of the patients' total diagnostic time (1.5 months) was used as a cutoff point to distinguish between delayed and non-delayed cases. Analysis of the variables was undertaken using the Student t test and chi2 test, with a 95% confidence interval (CI)., Results: The total diagnostic time was <1.5 months for 75% of gingival carcinomas, 50% of tongue carcinomas, and 78% of floor-of-the-mouth carcinomas. It was >1.5 months for 25% of gingival carcinomas, 50% of tongue carcinomas, and 21% of floor-of-the-mouth carcinomas. No significant differences in time before diagnosis were found when gingival cancers were compared to other oral tumors (chi2=0.21; 95% CI=-0.40 to 0.26). However, by the time of diagnosis, gingival cancers had invaded adjacent structures more frequently than other oral cancers (chi2=13.51; 95% CI=0.18 to 0.85)., Conclusions: The gingival location of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was associated with advanced stages at the time of diagnosis, due to early invasion of contiguous bone tissue (T4-primary tumor). This would indicate that even earlier referral and diagnosis are necessary.

Background: Myeloid sarcoma is an extramedullary malignancy of myeloblasts. An unusual case of myeloid sarcoma presenting in the gingiva and affected by drug-induced gingival enlargement is presented., Methods: A 63-year-old male taking amlodipine for his hypertension presented with a 3-week gingival enlargement. Although the obvious clinical impression was that of drug-induced gingival enlargement, an incisional biopsy was performed to corroborate chemical enlargement while ruling out diseases such as lymphoma and leukemia., Results: Microscopic examination of the thickened gingiva revealed surface stratified squamous epithelium having needle-like rete pegs characteristic of drug-induced gingival enlargement. Beneath the surface epithelium, the fibrous tissue was virtually replaced by a dense infiltrate of malignant cells. Immunohistochemical studies were performed with CD117 and myeloperoxidase identifying the malignant cell population as myeloblasts, leading to a diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma., Conclusion: Myeloid sarcoma and hematopoietic malignancies must be included in a differential diagnosis of gingival enlargement until the definitive diagnosis is reached by histologic/laboratory examination.

Background: Papillary squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma. PSCC can occur as either an in situ or invasive tumor. The sites of occurrence in order of the most to least prevalent are the larynx, oropharynx, and nasopharynx. We present an unusual case of PSCC occurring on the gingiva., Methods: A 72-year-old white female presented with a chief complaint of tooth mobility in the right posterior mandible. Clinical examination revealed a Miller's Class 2 mobility of tooth #28 along with an erythematous, papillary appearance of the lingual gingiva on teeth #27, #28, and #29. Her dental history revealed treatment of tooth #28 with locally delivered antibiotics. Her medical history revealed a diagnosis of breast cancer 8 years prior to examination that was treated with partial mastectomy and radiation therapy. An initial differential clinical diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma or metastatic carcinoma was made., Results: Surgical therapy included extraction of tooth #28 and an excisional biopsy of the lesion on the lingual gingiva. Microscopic evaluation of the gingival specimen revealed a neoplastic papillary proliferation of the surface epithelium with a thick layer of parakeratin, deep parakeratin-lined crypts, and a thickened spinous cell layer along with islands and strands of malignant epithelium. The microscopic appearance of the lesion was characteristic for PSSC. The patient's tumor was removed via a block resection that included teeth #27 through #31 and a radical neck dissection., Conclusions: This is a case report of PSCC occurring on the gingiva. This report demonstrates that, even though oral cancers involving the periodontium are a relatively rare occurrence, periodontists cannot be complacent about the diagnosis of periodontal bone loss. It also highlights the importance of utilizing a histopathologic examination to confirm the clinical diagnosis for any suspicious lesion.

Background: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may arise in extranodal tissues within the head and neck region. These lesions may occur in the oral cavity, but rarely appear on the gingiva. Due to their malignant nature, rapid identification, diagnosis, and treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are essential to patient survival., Methods: An unusual case of primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is described. The small lesion arose on the gingiva and alveolar mucosa. Upon excision, the tissue was submitted for microscopic examination, with the expectation that the lesion would be benign and excision would constitute the entirety of treatment. However, a diagnosis of primary extranodal large B-cell lymphoma was returned., Results: In addition to excision of the lesion, the patient underwent a complete work-up to rule out other systemic lesions. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy were performed. The patient has remained healthy, without recurrence of lymphoma for 3 years., Conclusions: This case reinforces the importance of submitting excised tissues for microscopic examination even when the lesion appears totally benign. In addition, it highlights the need for complete excision of suspected lesions, with generous borders of normal tissue. With current periodontal plastic surgical techniques, most defects remaining after soft tissue biopsy can be managed with good esthetic results.

Plasma cell granulomas (pseudotumors) are rare benign, tumor-like proliferations composed chiefly of plasma cells that manifest primarily in the lungs, but may occur in various anatomic locations. We report this case of a 54-year-old male who presented with an unusual maxillary anterior gingival overgrowth treated by excisional biopsy. Histological examination revealed a dense inflammatory cell infiltrate containing mainly plasma cells. Immunohistochemistry for kappa and lambda light chains showed a polyclonal staining pattern confirming a diagnosis of plasma cell granuloma. Intraoral plasma cell granuloma is exceedingly rare, although case reports documenting such lesions have been reported. This case highlights the need to biopsy unusual lesions to rule out potential neoplasms.

Ameloblastomas are predominantly benign, intra-osseous odontogenic tumors and mucosal involvement is a rare secondary phenomenon, occurring only after a long period of intra-osseous growth and bone expansion. A case is reported of an intra-osseous multicystic (solid) ameloblastoma which presented as an exophytic gingival lesion in the left mandibular third molar region. A classification of exophytic gingival lesions is presented and the clinical features and management of ameloblastomas discussed.