Choriostoma of the Gingivae following Trauma: An Unusual Case in a Nigerian With Review of Relevant Literature

Abstract

Background: Chondromas are benign intraosseous cartilaginous tumors composed of mature hyaline cartilage; they may however arise from the soft tissue in rare cases without bone or joint involvement and are called extra skeletal or soft tissue chondromas. Extra skeletal chondromas (ESC) are commonly seen in the hands and feet but rarely in the oral cavity. We report a rare case of extra skeletal chondroma of the gingiva in a 31-year-old male patient following trauma to the anterior maxillary soft and hard tissues.

Case Description: This is a case of a 31year old hypertensive patient with 3weeks history of gingival swelling in relation to the upper incisors which were fractured following an injury sustained from a motorbike fall. Clinical examination revealed a firm, non-tender localized gingival enlargement adjacent to the palatal surfaces of the maxillary incisors which had a lobulated appearance, with areas of inflammation that bled on gentle probing. The palatal gingival swelling was excised under local anesthesia, while gingivoplasty was performed on the labial gingiva of the same teeth. A periodontal dressing was placed on the surgical sites and removed at one-week review. Histopathologic examination of the palatal swelling revealed connective tissue that was densely infiltrated by mixed inflammatory cells. In some areas, there was focal chondroid tissue with chondrocytes of varying sizes in a chondromyxoid matrix.

Conclusion: A rare case of extra skeletal chondroma is reported, we encourage report of more cases with long term follow-up in multicenter study among Nigerians, to ascertain the prevalence, gender, site of ESC in this population.

Keywords: choriostoma , gingiva, swelling, surgery