ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Peripheral giant cell granuloma, or epulis, is a common and benign oral lesion that can grow rapidly. Diode lasers are increasingly used to excise soft-tissue lesions because the technique preserves tissue for histopathology while controlling bleeding. Here, we report the excision of a 2-cm benign peripheral giant cell granuloma of the oral mucosa by 975-nm infrared diode laser, with rapid wound healing and good tissue preservation for histological analysis. CASE REPORT A 39-year-old woman presented with a large red-purple lesion in the oral mucosa of the lower jaw, near teeth 41 and 32. According to the patient, despite the absence of pain, the lesion caused difficulty while eating, speaking, and maintaining oral hygiene. The periodontal assessment included the following parameters: clinical attachment level, gingival recession, pocket probing depth, Loe-Silness gingival index, and tooth mobility index. The lesion was excised under local anesthesia using a 975-nm diode laser, and histopathology reports confirmed the diagnosis of peripheral giant cell granuloma. Six weeks after removal of the peripheral giant cell granuloma, all periodontal parameters were improved except for clinical attachment level and gingival recession. CONCLUSIONS Excision by 975-nm infrared diode laser can maintain tissue integrity for histopathology while allowing complete excision and control of bleeding. Soft lasers can provide advantages such as reduced bleeding, less operative and postoperative pain, decreased mechanical trauma, increased patient acceptability, and rapid wound healing without sutures, and they can be used to successfully remove peripheral giant cell granulomas.
