Traumatic eosinophilic granuloma is a benign, self-limited ulceration of the oral mucosa that presumably has a traumatic etiology. The ulcer occurs on easily traumatized areas, most commonly the dorsal or lateral tongue. The lesions may be asymptomatic or associated with mild pain. They often occur in two vulnerable populations: infants who are nursing or teething and older adults who may have dental appliances.
The reported range of duration is from 1 week to 8 months.
Traumatic eosinophilic granuloma - Oral Mucosal Lesion
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Synopsis
Codes
ICD10CM:
K13.4 – Granuloma and granuloma-like lesions of oral mucosa
SNOMEDCT:
8090002 – Eosinophilic granuloma of oral mucosa
K13.4 – Granuloma and granuloma-like lesions of oral mucosa
SNOMEDCT:
8090002 – Eosinophilic granuloma of oral mucosa
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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
- Behçet syndrome
- Aphthous ulcer
- Drug-induced oral ulcer
- Oral traumatic ulcer – Generally the routine traumatic ulcer is not as chronic as the traumatic granuloma, although candidal infection of the periphery of a traumatic ulcer may cause it to persist. Eosinophils are not typically observed histologically.
- Squamous cell carcinoma – This malignancy may appear to be very similar clinically, and biopsy is often necessary to distinguish between these two entities.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – This malignancy, when secondarily ulcerated, can also appear clinically very similar to traumatic granuloma. Recent reports have suggested that a small percentage of lesions that may have been categorized as traumatic granuloma in the past could represent an indolent CD-30-positive T-cell lymphoma.
- Histoplasmosis or other deep fungal infection – Biopsy reveals Histoplasma capsulatum or other causative organisms in tissue sections stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) or Grocott-Gömöri's methenamine silver (GMS) method.
- Tuberculous ulcer – Biopsy shows necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and acid-fast bacilli.
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Last Reviewed:08/15/2023
Last Updated:08/31/2023
Last Updated:08/31/2023
Traumatic eosinophilic granuloma - Oral Mucosal Lesion