Localized juvenile spongiotic gingival hyperplasia: Microscopic variations and proposed change to nomenclature

Localized juvenile spongiotic gingival hyperplasia (LJSGH) is a recently described entity with distinct manifestations. Herein we report a comprehensive histopathologic study of 21 lesions and a literature review. Additionally, we propose a new term that we consider more appropriate.

LJSGH cases were retrieved and their clinicopathologic characteristics were assessed. A review of all pertinent literature was also conducted.

Eighteen patients with LJSGH (21 biopsied lesions) were identified. Microscopically, surface morphology was classified into exophytic/papillary, flat, and micropapillary (8, 7, and 6 lesions, respectively). Cases with parakeratinization (n = 9), no prominent spongiosis (n = 5), or epithelial atrophy (n = 4) were recorded. Increased vascularity, mixed inflammation with exocytosis, and cytokeratin-19 positivity were uniformly observed. Less frequent findings included pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (n = 8), bacterial colonies (n = 5), acantholysis (n = 3), and dystrophic calcifications (n = 2). The literature review disclosed 201 patients with a mean age of 14.8 years (range, 3-72; 13.6% affecting adults), similar sex distribution (103:98, female:male), and predominance of the anterior maxilla (≈ 80%). Eighteen cases were multifocal (≈ 10%).

Our data suggest that the terminology could be modified, because LJSGH may be multifocal, affect older individuals, or exhibit epithelial atrophy, and the entity's odontogenic origin (as highlighted by the histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings) needs to be emphasized.