title: Epulis: a study of 92 cases with special emphasis on histopathological diagnosis and associated clinical data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aim of the present study was clinical and histopathological evaluation of a series of epulides to provide clinicians data to frequency distribution and biological behaviour of different underlying entities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two cases of epulides removed by CO2-laser at the Department of Oral Surgery and Radiology, Medical University of Graz from 2000 to 2014 were studied retrospectively for clinical data and histopathological diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the presented study, histopathological examination revealed peripheral ossifying fibroma (32.6 %), fibroma/fibrosis (29.3 %), giant cell lesion (13.1 %) and granuloma pyogenicum (8.7 %) as the most frequent underlying entities. For the first time, hyperplastic squamous epithelium (7.6 %), granulation tissue (5.4 %) and peripheral odontogenic fibromas (3.3 %) were detected to clinically appear as epulides. Irrespective of the histological diagnosis, the mean age in our patients was 43.8 years. The majority of the lesions were found in the frontal region of both jaws. In all cases, the patients showed poor oral hygiene, local gingivitis and some of them an occlusal trauma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To identify different entities with different biological behaviour, to exclude malignant tumours and to identify new entities among epulides, histopathological examination is required. Poor oral hygiene and occlusal trauma seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis and could be risk factors for recurrences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequency distribution of different entities in epulides is provided to clinicians, and new histopathological entities were detected to clinically appear as epulides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Radiology, University Dental Clinic, Medical University Graz, Billrothgasse 4, A-8010, Graz, Austria. astrid.truschnegg@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Truschnegg
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Radiology, University Dental Clinic, Medical University Graz, Billrothgasse 4, A-8010, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acham
authors.affiliation: Department of General Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, A-8036, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Birgit Alexandra
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Radiology, University Dental Clinic, Medical University Graz, Billrothgasse 4, A-8010, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jakse
authors.affiliation: IMAH, Institute of Morphological Analytics and Human Genetics, Grabenstraße 23, A-8010, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Clinical data; Epulis; Histopathological entities; Hyperplastic gingival lesions; Reactive lesions