Aggressive pregnancy tumor mimicking a malignant neoplasm: a case report.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this report is to present the management of an aggressive, highly proliferative pregnancy tumor with clinical and radiographic characteristics highly suggestive of a malignant neoplasm.


BACKGROUND
Pregnancy tumor is a benign hyperplastic gingival lesion occurring during pregnancy that is indistinguishable from a pyogenic granuloma arising in nonpregnant females, or in males. The lesion usually grows over a few months and tends to bleed.


METHODS
A 28-year-old woman at four months of gestation was referred for a massive gingival swelling (5.5 cm in greatest diameter) on the mandibular left side. The lesion was painful and continued to grow very rapidly over a three-week period, with spontaneous bleeding, and it interfered with speech and mastication. Advanced alveolar bone loss also was found beneath the lesion. A malignant process was suspected, and an incisional biopsy revealed a pregnancy tumor. The lesion was excised under general anesthesia during the pregnancy with no untoward reactions.


CONCLUSIONS
Pregnancy tumor represents an important differential diagnosis of oral masses and can behave in a very aggressive fashion, mimicking a malignant tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
This lesion should always be included in the differential diagnosis of soft tissue masses in a pregnant woman even if the lesion is clinically very aggressive. It is acceptable practice to excise aggressive variants of this lesion during pregnancy to avoid distressing side effects.
Ababneh
Khansa
K
Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. ktababneh@hotmail.com
Al-Khateeb
Taiseer
T
D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005887:Gingival Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D019214:Gingival Overgrowth / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017789:Granuloma, Pyogenic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome