Épulis Fissuratum A literature Review

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this article is to make a bibliographical review of the state of the art diagnosis, etiology, histology, and treatment of épulis fissuratum Context: Epulis fissuratum is defined as a reactive, hyperplasic, fibrous lesion, very common in edentulous patients using a partial or total removable prosthesis. The current literature describes several therapeutic options, but it does not often cover topics related to this lesion’s clinical and histological diagnosis, nor its etiology. Procedure: We carried out an updated bibliographic search and compilation on this topic using digital databases such as MEDLINE, PUBMED & SCIELO. The selected articles were randomized controlled studies, comparative clinical studies, case reports, and literature reviews. Results: The literature reviewed in this study suggests that liquid nitrogen excision and laser therapy provide better results compared to the conventional surgical treatment, in addition to having satisfactory outcome predictability. It also mentions the importance of a clinical and histological diagnosis of the lesion to obtain a correct differential diagnosis. However, many of these studies do not include a representative sample that allows for drawing reliable conclusions. This results in the absence of systematic reviews related to the topic. Conclusions: Cryosurgery and laser provide good hemostasis, healing, and satisfactory aesthetic and functional results. The lesion removal using scalpel presented more bleeding and postoperative pain, in addition to requiring sutures.