[Congenital epulis: refrain from surgery. A case report of spontaneous regression].

Introduction: Congenital epulis is a rare benign tumor that originates from the mucosa of the dental alveolar ridge. Management of congenital epulis is unclear; most authors recommend surgical excision during infancy.
Case Report: We report a case of congenital epulis arising from the anterior mandibular region that was managed conservatively. This epulis did not interfere with breast-feeding or respiration. Subsequently, there was spontaneous involution of the lesion during the 1st year of life.
Conclusion: Small and medium congenital epulis (<20mm) exceptionally compromises feeding and might regress spontaneously. Subsequently, conservative treatment should be adopted. Surgical treatment should be indicated only when major feeding or respiratory problems are present or when the clinical diagnosis is uncertain.
(Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier SAS.)