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Encyclopedia of Pathology pp 1–2Cite as

Epulis

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

Definition

An epulis is a collective term for lesions of the oral mucosa having an intimate relation with periodontal membrane or with the periosteum of the jaw, in practice used for localized swellings of the gingiva. The term is derived from the Greek “epi” and “ulon” meaning on the gingiva. The term is also used for mucosal hyperplasias of the edentulous alveolus.

The term epulis is a topographico-clinical concept saying nothing about the histological structure or pathogenesis of the lesion.

An epulis is a localized swelling of the gingiva, measuring 0.5–2.5 cm, broad based or with a stalk, soft to firm, with a normal to reddish color, depending on the histopathological diagnosis of the lesion (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Epulis gravidarum (Courtesy of Prof. A. Vissink, Dept. of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands)

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References and Further Reading

  • Anneroth, G., & Sigurdson, A. (1983). Hyperplastic lesions of the gingival and alveolar mucosa. A study of 175 cases. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 41, 75–86.

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  • Buchner, A., Shnaiderman-Shapiro, A., & Vered, M. (2010). Relative frequency of localized reactive hyperplastic lesions of the gingival: A retrospective study of 1675 cases from Israel. Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, 39, 631–638.

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  • Zain, R. B., & Fei, Y. J. (1990). Fibrous lesions of the gingival: A histopathologic analysis of 204 cases. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Oral Pathology, 70, 466–470.

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  • Zarei, M. R., Chamani, G., & Amanpoor, S. (2007). Reactive hyperplasia of the oral cavity in Kerman province, Iran: A review of 172 cases. British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 45, 288–292.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jacqueline E. van der Wal

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  1. Jacqueline E. van der Wal
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Correspondence to Jacqueline E. van der Wal .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands

    J.H.J.M. van Krieken

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van der Wal, J.E. (2017). Epulis. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_784-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_784-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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