Congenital epulis of the newborn: a case report

Abstract

The objective of this case report is to describe a congenital epulis of the newborn. A 10-day-old female neonate was brought to a dental clinic for examination of an intraoral lesion that was present at birth. No systemic changes were noted during the extraoral examination. During the intraoral examination, a nodular exophytic lesion was found in the maxillary left alveolar ridge. The appearance suggested a congenital epulis. The nodular, pedunculated lesion had a diameter of 13 mm, firm consistency, smooth surface, and color varying from pink to red. Newborns with such lesions usually have difficulty breastfeeding and may experience respiratory difficulties. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy under local infiltrative anesthesia with 2% lidocaine. Histopathologic examination of the lesion confirmed the diagnosis of congenital epulis. There were no postoperative complications. At the follow-up examination 8 days after the biopsy, her weight and length had already increased, and the oral mucosa had a normal appearance. At 8 months of age, she demonstrated continued gains in weight and length. Dentists must familiarize themselves with abnormalities that may affect the oral cavity of neonates as well as the differential diagnoses and treatment options.

Keywords: congenital epulis; gingival neoplasms; granular cell tumor; neonate.