title: Treatment of epulis fissuratum with carbon dioxide laser in a patient with antithrombotic medication.
abstract: Epulis fissuratum is a pseudotumor growth located over the soft tissues of the vestibular sulcus caused by chronic irritation from poorly adapted dentures. Treatment indication for these lesions is surgical excision with appropriate prosthetic reconstruction. The hemostatic capacity of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) laser is well described in the literature as a useful tool in oral surgery, especially in patients with clotting disorders. This paper presents a case of a 72-year-old female patient referred to the 'Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Valongo Hospital' at Porto, Portugal, with a massive growth of vestibular oral mucosa in the mandible and maxilla associated with ill-fitting dentures, suggestive of epulis fissuratum. The patient was taking antithrombotic medication. The lesions were excised with CO(2) laser, and no significant complications, such as hemorrhage, pain, swelling or infection, were recorded. Twenty days after surgery, both areas were completely reepithelizaded. Prosthetic rehabilitation and function were achieved with the fabrication of new maxillary and mandibular dentures. Follow-up 1 month and 1 year after treatment revealed the areas free of recurrence. The use of CO(2) lasers is currently the gold standard in the excision of this type of lesion, especially in patients with hemorrhagic diathesis or under antithrombotic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine Department, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Paredes, Portugal. lmonteiro.md@gmail.com
authors.forename: Luís Silva
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mouzinho
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.forename: Marco Infante da
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Câmara
authors.forename: Marco André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: José Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: La Fuente
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003778:Dentures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery*; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents