Oral Juvenile Xanthogranuloma: a case report of gingival hyperplasia and osteolysis in male adult patient

BACKGROUND: Juvenile Xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a non-hereditary, self-limiting disease which is usually presented in infancy or early childhood and in males over females. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a rare case of oral Juvenile Xanthogranuloma with recurrent progressive gingival hyperplasia and concomitant presentation of osteolysis in a 21-year-old adult male with no significant medical history. Patient presented with generalized gingival hyperplasia, osteolysis of the maxilla and mandible, and a round, firm, nodular mass with clear circumference on the left shoulder. Results of gingival tissue biopsy, karyotype, bone marrow biopsy and immunohistochemistry were suggestive of a diagnosis of Juvenile Xanthogranuloma with no association to hematologic malignancy. Unfortunately, patient declined treatment and elected to be transferred back to local hospital for future evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Juvenile Xanthogranuloma in adults can have atypical manifestations including generalized gingival hyperplasia and osteolysis of the maxilla and mandible. It should be differentiated between Langerhans cell histiocytosis, Papillon–Lefevre Syndrome, and Pyogenic Granulomas. Despite uncommon incidence, it should be included in differential diagnoses in cases of similar clinical presentations.