title: Orofacial granulomatosis: clinical signs of different pathologies.
abstract: Orofacial granulomatosis (OFG) is an uncommon disease characterized by persistent or recurrent soft tissue enlargement, oral ulceration and a variety of other orofacial features. It could be an oral manifestation of a systemic disease. For a correct differential diagnosis, local and systemic conditions characterized by granulomatous inflammation should be excluded using appropriate clinical and laboratory investigations. In fact, the diagnosis of OFG may be confirmed only by histopathological identification of noncaseating granulomas. The literature from 1943 to 2014 was reviewed with emphasis on the etiology of OFG and on clinical manifestations of systemic pathologies associated with OFG. The precise cause of OFG is still unknown, although several theories have been suggested, such as infection, hereditary factors and allergy. OFG is a disease that has a wide spectrum of presentation, which may include the oral manifestation of a systemic condition such as Crohn's disease, sarcoidosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Foggia University, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Troiano
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dioguardi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giannatempo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laino
authors.forename: Nunzio Francesco
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cocchi
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Lillo
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Muzio
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005838:Genotype; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D051261:Granulomatosis, Orofacial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008556:Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology