[Congenital granular-cell epulis. A histochemical case study]

Following a review of the literature the author reports the various different hypotheses regarding the origin and nature of congenital epulis, a pedunculated neoformation with a gingival or more rarely mandibular localisation. Epulides present dimensions varying from a few millimetres to a couple of centimetres and they may exceptionally be multiple in the same subject. A case of granulocellular congenital epulis is reported covered by integral mucosa, located in correspondence with the maximally gingiva in a paramedical site. The epulis, removed a few days after birth since it prevented the child from sucking, did not present any other pathological element and underwent optical microscope examination using hematoxylin staining, eosin, PAS, argentic impregnation according to Gomori, Masson's Trichromic, Alcian Bleu. The results are discussed in relation to the histogenesis of this rare gingival lesion: the histogenetic question is still unresolved given that even the ultrastructural tests performed by various authors have yielded discordant results. The hypothesis of an hamartomatous nature of the epulis is however more plausible than the hypothesis of a neoplastic process in the strict sense of the term.