ORAL GRANULOMAS AT PRINCE RASHID HOSPITAL - NORTH JORDAN. A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 62 CASES

Objective: To investigate the distribution of granulomas of the jaws and the oral cavity and to evaluate the clinical and radiological data contained in the submitt ed histopathology request forms in a peripheral hospital in the North of Jordan. Methods: All the patients who had been treated sur gically for oral granulomas at P rince Rashid Bin Al-Hassan hospital during the period 1984-2002 were included in this study. Histopathology records for those patients were retrospectively analyzed for the following data: Age, gender, presentation of the lesion, site distribution, and adequacy of the clinical data provided in the histopathology records. Results: During the study period, 62 patients received surgical treatment by excision and / or curettage for oral granulomas. The majority of granulomas were found in females 34 (54.8%) compar ed to males 28 (45.2 %). Twentyfour cases (38.7%) were in the mandible and 23 cases (37.1%) in the maxilla. The highest percentage of granulomas (38.7%) was found in the young patients within the age group of 10 -20 years. Pyogenic granulomas were the most encountered type in 29 cases (46.8 %), followed by peripheral giant cell granulomas, 22 (35.5 %). The chief complaint at presentation was friable mass in 38.7 % of the patients, followed by swelling and firm mass in 33.9% and 27.4% of the patients respectively. Conclusion: Oral granulomas are more common in the jawbones than other sites of the oral cavity. These lesions are benign and rarely recur if properly treated. Pyogenic granuloma is the most encountered type, and central giant cell granuloma showed the highest recurrence. All the possible personal, clinical, and radiological data should be provided in the histopathology request forms, to provide better categorization of these lesions and to help better follow up.