Epithelial hyperplasia: A clinical mirage of a histopathological entity

Abstract

Epithelial lesions that mimic infectious disease, a reactive lesion, or a neoplastic entity are frequently encountered by dentists, especially specialists in Oral Medicine and Radiology. Improper or incomplete history can complicate clinical differentials even further, leading dentists to prescribe medications that are frequently unnecessary. The histological diagnosis obtained after a biopsy is usually conclusive when representative tissue is incised and sent for diagnosis. This case report presents an intriguing case of a patient with papillary growth along the midline of the palate that was histologically diagnosed as epithelial hyperplasia, which describes the nature of the lesion but masks the clinical symptoms of the underlying inflammatory papillary hyperplasia.