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Oral neurovascular hamartoma: a lesion searching for a name
Author(s) -
Allon Irit,
Allon Dror M.,
Hirshberg Avraham,
Shlomi Benjamin,
LifschitzMercer Beatriz,
Kaplan Ilana
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of oral pathology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0714
pISSN - 0904-2512
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0714.2011.01101.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neurovascular bundle , tongue , lesion , hamartoma , oral mucosa , pathology , radiology
J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41 : 348–353 Background: Neurovascular hamartoma (NVH), in particular in the oral cavity, is rarely described in the literature. The low number of cases may reflect a genuine rarity of the lesion, or it may be due to its being unrecognized and/or under‐reported. Objectives: To investigate clinical and microscopic features of oral NVH and to define microscopic diagnostic criteria with emphasis on the differential diagnosis. Methods: Archival cases diagnosed as oral NVH between 1999 and 2011 were retrieved; clinical and demographic data were collected, and a paired morphometric analysis was conducted, with each case of NVH a case of fibrous hyperplasia (FH) from the same oral location. The nerve bundle and blood vessel density were quantified in five microscopic fields at ×100 magnification. Results: The study group included 25 oral NVH, 11 men and 14 women, aged 6–76 years, (mean 44). The majority occurred in the tongue (54%), followed by the buccal mucosa and lower lip (17% each), clinically presenting as asymptomatic 0.25–2.5 cm exophytic masses. Microscopic characteristics included poorly circumscribed masses of closely packed nerve bundles and blood vessels in a loose matrix, containing minimal or no inflammation. The mean nerve bundle density was significantly higher in NVH (4.28 ± 1.26) in comparison with FH (0.27 ± 0.27), ( P < 0.00001), and mean vessel density was significantly lower (5.98 ± 1.4 vs. 7.8 ± 1.9, respectively), ( P < 0.0003). Conclusion: Oral NVH may not be as rare as previously considered. Morphometric analysis demonstrated that NVH presents a separate distinct entity.