A comparative clinical and histopathological examination of hemangioma and chronic inflammatory enlargement of gingiva

Abstract

Chronic inflammatory gingival enlargement (CIGE) occasionally exhibits some similarities with hemangioma (Hm) by means of the clinical and histopathological features of gingiva. When compared with hemangioma, CIGE is more frequently encountered by the dental profession. However, Hm is rarely seen on gingiva and it has a non-inflammatory nature and mostly congenital origin. The present paper reports the clinic and histopathologic features of CIGE and Hm of gingiva in patients referred to our clinic suffering primarily from gingival overgrowth. Twenty-one patients were diagnosed as having CIGE (in a 4-month period) and 10 patients were diagnosed as having Hm (in a 12-month period) via clinical examination based on both the history and clinical appearance of the lesions. as well as the patients' complaints, and, via histopathological examination of the biopsy specimens. Since attempts to eliminate Hm lesions following an inadequate differential diagnosis have the potential of leading to serious medical problems such as excess bleeding and recurrency of the lesion, in the present report emphasis is placed upon the correct differentiation of CIGE and Hm of gingiva.