Oral pyogenic granuloma: Analysis of 137 cases that presented in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Abstract

Background: Oral pyogenic granuloma is a common oral lesion among African population. It often presents as a painless, pedunculated, or sessile mass within the oral cavity. However, etiopathogenesis of oral pyogenic granuloma is still debatable. This article reviewed and identified the possible predisposing factors to the development of oral pyogenic granuloma amongst patients presenting at a sub urban tertiary health care facility.

Methods: Information about 137 patients that presented with pyogenic granuloma from January 2009 to December 2019 were retrieved from the records department of Federal Medical Centre, Nguru. The data that were reviewed and analyzed included ages of patients, gender, anatomical site of lesions, treatment instituted as well as clinical and histopathologic features.

Results: Patients ages ranged from 10 to 70 years (mean=41.02± 2.1 years), with the greatest degree of occurrence (29.19%) in the third decade of life. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.7. The most frequently involved site was the gingiva. Other sites where pyogenic granuloma was located were the tongue, check mucosa, and palate. Oral pyogenic granulomas were more prevalent in the maxilla than in the mandible, with the labiobuccal gingiva of both jaws more commonly affected. The main complaint of the patients was painless swelling associated with occasional bleeding. More than half of the lesions had a pedunculated base, with surface ulceration in some cases. All lesions were surgically excised, although 8.03% of the cases existed as recurrent lesions.

Conclusion: Although the clinicopathologic features of oral pyogenic granuloma in the study population were similar to those previously reported and their aetiology multifactorial, this study revealed that poor oral hygiene status of patients played a major role in their development.