title: Solitary neurofibroma of the gingiva with prominent differentiation of Meissner bodies: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral neurofibromas are peripheral nerve sheath tumors, similar to schwannomas. Histological variations in oral neurofibromas are relatively uncommon.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we present a case of unique variation in the observed characteristics of a neurofibroma, with no relation to neurofibromatosis type-1 or von Recklinghausen disease of the skin. The neurofibroma was observed in the right mandibular gingiva of a 32-year-old Japanese woman. Histologically, it differed from conventional neurofibromas in that the tumor was composed of a mixture of fine fibrillary collagen in sheets and/or cords of neoplastic Schwann cells containing numerous clusters of Meissner bodies. Histologically, these bodies were in contact with neoplastic Schwann cells. The Meissner bodies were immunopositive for S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase, and vimentin, but were negative for calretinin. CD34-positive spindle cells were observed around the Meissner bodies. No recurrence or signs of other tumors have been observed in the patient for 5 years after tumor resection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, no formal descriptions of sporadic, solitary neurofibromas containing numerous Meissner bodies occurring in the oral cavity are available in literature. We believe that an uncommon proliferation of Meissner bodies, as seen in the present case, may result from aberrant differentiation of neoplastic Schwann cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Biology, Division of Pathology, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka, Japan. johno@college.fdcnet.ac.jp
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Teruaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwahashi
authors.forename: Ryuki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ozasa
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Kunihisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens / Q000032:analysis; D005887:Gingival Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000473:pathology*; D009455:Neurofibroma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D024022:Fibrillar Collagens