Identification of a giant cell fibroma

Fibrous hyperplastic connective tissue lesions are common in the oral cavity and may be similar both clinically and histologically. A giant cell fibroma, a type of fibrous hyperplasia, was discovered during a preventive patient visit in the dental hygiene clinic at a Midwestern university. The patient, a 19-year-old female, presented with a dome-shaped lesion of normal mucosal color on the attached gingiva apical to tooth number 11. She was referred to the dental school for biopsy, which revealed fibrocollagenous connective tissue exhibiting large stellate fibroblasts. She returned after 10 months and was referred to the graduate periodontal department, where the lesion was removed. Several fibrous hyperplastic lesions can be considered in the differential diagnosis of giant cell fibroma. Dental hygienists should be familiar with the different fibrous hyperplasias, noting lesions during the intra- and extra-oral examinations for further evaluation by the dentist.