title: Benign tumors of the oral mucosa: a study of 300 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the frequency and type of the most common benign tumors of the oral mucosa found at the Hospital Stomatology Service, and to study the clinical characteristics and possible etiological factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of 300 patients with histologically diagnosed benign tumors of the oral mucosa. Data was compiled for each case, documenting information relating to age, gender, medication, habits (smoking, oral hygiene), anamnesis (reason for consultation, symptomatology, evolution), and the characteristics of the lesion (site, color, size, surface, consistency, and base).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all the tumors studied, 53% were histologically diagnosed as fibroma. In the study of prevalence of benign tumors of the oral mucosa, no differences were found for age; however there were differences according to gender, finding a greater prevalence of fibromas, pyogenic granulomas, and giant cell granulomas in women, at a ratio of 2:1. The group of tumors studied showed a significantly asymptomatic behaviour, and self-limiting and slow growth. With respect to the possible etiologic agents, we found no statistically significant differences between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Following the study of 300 patients histologically diagnosed with benign tumor of the oral mucosa, we can state that with regard to prevalence, we found significant differences with respect to gender, being more frequent in women. The fibroma is the most frequent benign tumor of the oral cavity.
authors.affiliation: dr_storres@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torres-Domingo
authors.forename: Jose V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Bagan
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poveda
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murillo
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sanchis
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gavaldá
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carbonell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies