ABSTRACT
Background. Gingival overgrowth with ulceration has recenthy been recorded in 4 reports: (1) our report of a British patient with ligneous conjunctivitis in whom the gingival lesions appeared to be related to tranexamic acid-an antifibrinolytic agent; (2) a report of 2 Turkish patients and an Italian patients with mainly gingival lesions; (3) our report of 5 Turkish patient with mainly gingival lesions; and (4) a report of 3 Turkish cases, which also were associted with gingival lesions and alveolar bone loss. These patients all had gingival swellings, and a minority had conjunctival involvement similar to ligneous conjunctivitis, although material seen on the gingival biopsy stained for fibrin but failed to stain for amyloid. Methods. We have examinated 6 more patients who exhibited gingival swelling caused by amyloidaceous deposits that stained only for fibrin, and we assayed their plasminogen levels. Results. The plasminogen functional activity assayed in these 6 additional patients, and in 2 of the 5 patients previously reported by us, was significantly reduced. Conclusions. Gingival overgrowth with ulceration appears to be a new complication caused by plasminogen deficiency; it also appears to be related to ligneous conjunctivitis in some cases