Case Report
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World J Clin Cases. Jul 16, 2014; 2(7): 293-296
Published online Jul 16, 2014. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i7.293
Focal epithelial hyperplasia in a human immuno-deficiency virus patient treated with laser surgery
Alexandros Galanakis, Gaspare Palaia, Gianluca Tenore, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Umberto Romeo
Alexandros Galanakis, Gaspare Palaia, Gianluca Tenore, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Umberto Romeo, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Science, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: Galanakis A, Tenore G, Del Vecchio A and Romeo U were the attending doctors for the patients; Palaia G and Romeo U designed the report; Galanakis A and Romeo U performed the surgeries; Palaia G organized the report; and Galanakis A wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Alexandros Galanakis, DDS, PhD, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Caserta 6, 00161 Rome, Italy. agalanakis@hotmail.it
Telephone: +39-320-0713294 Fax: +39-064-9976630
Received: December 24, 2013
Revised: April 21, 2014
Accepted: May 15, 2014
Published online: July 16, 2014
Processing time: 208 Days and 1.9 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Focal epithelial hyperplasia (FEH), or Heck’s disease, is a rare disease of the oral mucosa, characterized by asymptomatic papules in the oral cavity. Human papillomaviruses have been associated with FEH and have been detected in the majority of lesions. Histopathologically, FEH is characterized by parakeratosis, epithelial hyperplasia, and acanthosis. Here, the case of a 37-year-old male patient, human immuno-deficiency virus-positive, smoker, with numerous asymptomatic oral papules clinically and histologically corresponding to FEH is described. Surgical treatment was performed using a 532-nm potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser. In this case, the laser allowed excellent control of bleeding without postoperative sutures and optimal wound healing.