Histopathological Variations in Generalized Inflammatory Gingival Enlargements and Normal Gingiva

Introduction: The healthy gingiva almost completely accommodates the interproximal spaces between teeth in the oral cavity. But sometimes, there is frequent increase in the size of the gingiva, which is called gingival enlargement. It mainly occurs as inflammatory, noninflammatory (fibrous), any drug induced (Cyclosporine A, Phenytoin, Amlodipine, Nifedipine), and mixed type (systemic diseases and conditions like in leukemia, vitamin C deficiency). The aim of this study is to compare the histopathological changes in gingival enlargement with normal gingiva. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 40 subjects divided into two groups of 20 each. Group I was the study group with gingival enlargement patients, and group II was the control group with normal gingiva. The gingiva of all the subjects was surgically excised, fixed, stained, and examined under the microscope to study the histological features. Results: Microscopically, the tissue samples of gingival enlargements showed markedly thickened epithelium with hyperkeratinization in the spinous layer. The connective tissue contains collagen fibers, plumped to spindle fibroblast and numerous blood vessels with extravasated red blood corpuscles. Chronic dense inflammatory infiltrate was also evident. Conclusion: The persistent clinical manifestation of gingival enlargements and its early histopathological diagnosis can help the clinician to prevent further severity of the disease.