Congenital epulis - congenital granular cell lesion: a case report

Neumann first described congenital epulis (CE) of newborn in 1871. CE occurs at birth and has a striking predilection for females. It is most frequently located on the anterior maxillary alveolar ridge. CE clinically appears as a pedunculated protuberant mass. In cases with large lesions mechanical oral and nasal obstruction can impair fetal deglutition and neonatal respiratory efforts resulting in polyhydramnios prenatally or respiratory impairment postnatally. Histologically CE shows characteristic large cells with granular cytoplasm and spindle cells resembling fibroblasts. The exact histiogenesis is still uncertain, various theories of origin are epithelial, undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, pericytes, fibroblast, smooth muscle cells and nerve related cells. A newborn female child with CE in the maxillary alveolar ridge reported to our institution is presented with investigation, management and follow-up.