Irritant fibroma is a benign (benign) tissue growth of the oral mucosa that develops as a result of chronic inflammation or prolonged mechanical stress. These are fibrous hyperplasias (connective tissue growths) and not true neoplasms (tissue neoplasms).
Growths of the gums that develop because of irritating stimuli are called epulis.
Symptoms – complaints
Tissue growths develop in areas of the oral mucosa that are subjected to chronic mechanical irritation, often affecting the inside of the cheek. Any other area of the oral mucosa can also develop irritant fibromas if interfering factors such as denture margins or sharp edges are present.
Irritant fibromas have a coarse consistency and are often pedunculated. Only rarely are symptoms caused by the tissue growths.
Pathogenesis (disease development) – etiology (causes)
Causes include chronic inflammation or mechanical irritation. The so-called prosthesis margin fibroma is frequently diagnosed. It develops whenever prostheses cause permanent pressure sores and the cause is not removed. The persistent irritation of the mucosa then causes fibrous hyperplasia of the affected tissue.
Sharp edges of dentures such as crowns or bridges, as well as on natural teeth, can also cause the development of an irritant fibroma.
Consequential diseases
There are no known secondary diseases. Irritant fibromas may recur after their removal if the cause has not been removed.
Diagnostics
Often, a mechanical cause for an existing irritant fibroma is apparent. Nevertheless, neoplastic disease (tumor disease) must always be considered as a differential diagnosis. Therefore, histologic (fine tissue) examination of the removed fibroma is absolutely essential.
Therapy
Irritant fibromas are removed in a minor surgical procedure under local anesthesia (local anesthetic). This is followed by examination in a histologic laboratory to rule out malignancy.
It is important to eliminate the cause of the irritable fibroma, otherwise it may recur.
