Abstract

Benign Fibrous Histiocytoma Of Maxillary Gingiva

George A, Pynadath MK, Jayapalan CS, Noufal A, Manjunath GA and Nair RB

Background: Fibrohistiocytic lesions are heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumours that are chiefly composed of fibroblastic and histiocytic elements. They occur commonly in the cutaneous soft tissue of the lower extremities and rarely in the non-cutaneous soft tissues of the head and neck.
Case Description: A 37yr old female reported with progressive difficulty in mouth opening. Intraoral examination revealed a large well-defined gingival swelling on the right maxillary tuberosity. The lesion had normal mucosal colouration, granular surface, was non-ulcerated, firm on palpation, and was not associated with tenderness or discharge.
Clinical Implication: Benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) are uncommon in the oral cavity but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of fibrous growth of gingiva and oral mucosa. Diagnosis of non-cutaneous BFH is difficult because of its non-specific clinical appearance, uncertain histogenesis, microscopic similarities, and lack of any specific immunohistochemical (IHC) marker. To the best of our knowledge this article describes the first case of BFH involving the maxillary posterior buccal gingiva. We also discuss the pathological and IHC characteristics of the lesion.