Reactive lesions of the oral cavity: A retrospective study on 2068 cases

BACKGROUND: Reactive lesions of the oral cavity are non-neoplastic proliferations with very similar clinical appearance to benign neoplastic proliferation. This similarity is troublesome in the differential diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of oral cavity reactive lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a retrospective archive review. The medical records of 2068 patients with histopathologic diagnosis of oral cavity reactive lesions were studied. The patients’ clinical data were registered and evaluated retrospectively. The obtained frequency of patients’ age, gender, and anatomic location were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used for evaluating the registered data. RESULTS: Peripheral giant cell granuloma was the most prevalent lesion (n=623, 30.12%). This was followed by pyogenic granuloma (n=365, 17.65%), epulis fissuratum (n=327, 15.81%), irritation fibroma (n=288, 13.93%), cemento-ossifying fibroma (n=277, 13.40%), inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (n=177, 8.56%), and inflammatory papillary hyperplasia (n=11, 0.53%). The age ranged from 2 to 85 years, with a mean of 39.56 years. The lesions were more common in males (n=1219, 58.95%) than in females (n=849, 41.05%). Attached gingiva with 1331 (64.36%) cases was the most frequent place of reactive lesions. CONCLUSION: Peripheral giant cell granuloma was the most prevalent reactive lesion of the oral cavity. The reactive lesions were more common in males, gingival, and the third decade. Some differences have been found between the findings of the present study and previous reports.