Diphenylhydantoin-induced gingival overgrowth in man: a clinico-pathological study

In a cross-sectional, epidemiological study of diphenylhydantoin-induced gingival overgrowth (DGO) in 60 epileptic patients, gingival lesion severity was statistically compared with other clinical, laboratory, and histopathological findings. Evident DGO was observed in 50% of patients, and positive correlations were detected between overgrowth severity and oral debris, calculus accumulation, plaque score, gingival inflammation, and probing depth. However, no valid correlation was observed between lesion and patient age, mouth breathing, daily drug dose, plasma diphenylhydantoin level, or duration of drug intake. Also, there were no significant correlations between connective fiber richness and the intensity of epithelial hyperplasia and severity of gingival overgrowth.