A case report of congenital epulis in the fetus

ABSTRACT

congenital epulis of newborn is a rare benign tumor that occurs on the gingiva of the anterior alveolar ridge of the jaws, also known as a congenital granular cell tumor. Females are affected 8 - 10 times more often than males. The typical location is the alveolar ridge of the maxilla near the canine but the mandibular region can also be involved. The lesion may be sessile or pedunculated with red or normal color. The size of tumor varies from several millimeters to a few centimeters in diameter. Surgical excision is generally indicated and no recurrences have been noticed. Spontaneous regression is rare. It is histologically similar to the granular cell tumor, although pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia does not occur in the former lesion. Thus sheets of large, closely packed cells showing fine, granular, eosinophilic cytoplasm comprise the tumor mass. This is a case report of congenital epulis in the fetus. The lesion was detected in ultrasonogram, its size is 3 cm in diameter. The infant showed nursing disturbance and respiratory obstruction after birth, so the tumor was surgically excised under local anesthesia.