Multifocal epithelial hyperplasia confined to the interdental papilla of an adult Chinese man: a rare case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Multifocal epithelial hyperplasia (MEH), or focal epithelial hypertension (FEH), or Heck’s disease, is an uncommon, benign oral mucosal disease associated with human papillomavirus infection. It is mostly observed in indigenous populations of the world, and has been rarely reported in China. However, previous research suggested there might be a greater prevalence of MEH in the Chinese population. While predominantly involves the lips, buccal mucosa and tongue, MEH was occasionally reported to affect the hard palate and gingiva as well. CASE PRESENTATION: This paper reports a case of extensive MEH lesions that confined to the interdental papilla of a Chinese male without detection of HPV, and summarizes the published gingiva-involved MEH reports from 1966 until present. The lesions were excised with an Er: YAG laser after scaling and root planning, no recurrence was observed after 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The present report illustrates the need for clinicians to be aware of rare presentations of MEH to facilitate a prompt diagnosis and proper management. More reports are encouraged to determine a correct prevalence rate of MEH in China. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12903-023-03282-7.