Prenatal diagnosis and multidisciplinary approach to the congenital gingival granular cell tumor

Objective: Congenital gingival granular cell tumor (CGCT) is a rare benign lesion appearing at birth on the alveolar median ridge of the maxilla. Etiology is still unclear because spontaneous regression of the lesion is rare. Methods: The present report describes 2 cases of neonatal CGCT, highlighting benefits of ultrasonography to treatment of the prenatally diagnosed lesion. Results: The patients immediately underwent surgical exeresis. Pathology revealed a tumor of large polyedric cells with vacuolar central nuclei and eosinophil granular cytoplasm. Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis is fundamental in the therapeutic approach to CGCT: ultrasonography methodologies allow diagnosis of the lesion in the uterus at the 36th gestational week, thus also allowing planning of delivery and, immediately later, the surgical treatment. That permits planning of delivery in a third-level center with considerable benefit for both the mother and the newborn. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.