CONGENITAL GINGIVAL GRANULAR-CELL TUMOR

Congenital gingival granular cell tumours are rare lesions which have only occasionally been reported in the UK. Clinical features are of a benign lesion which occurs almost exclusively in newborn, Caucasian fe males and the anterior maxilla is the commonest site, Treatment consis ts of local excision and is curative. The terminology concerning this condition has been rather confused because of uncertainty regarding th e histogenesis of these tumours and the similar histological appearanc e to adults granular cell myoblastoma occurring at other intraoral sit es. The exact histogenesis of these tumours remains unresolved and the y may be hamartomata. We describe a new case occurring within the UK, which illustrates many of the common clinical features of the conditio n, with an accompanying literature review.