Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Focal gingival hyperplasia in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Handy, L H et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 22-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was diagnosed with gingival hyperplasia, which means he had an abnormal growth of gum tissue. He was having trouble eating hay and had a large soft tissue mass in his mouth, measuring about 13 x 8 x 4.5 cm, located near the back of his jaw. X-rays showed that he was missing one of his lower molars, which likely caused irritation from his other teeth and food getting stuck, leading to the growth. The horse underwent surgery while under anesthesia to remove the entire mass. The treatment was successful in addressing the issue.
Abstract
A diagnosis of gingival hyperplasia in a 22-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was confirmed by histologic examination. Clinical signs included difficulty eating hay, and a large, intraoral soft tissue mass measuring 13 x 8 x 4.5 cm. The mass was located in the mucosa on the lingual aspect of the caudal left portion of the mandible, ventral to the base of the tongue, and covered the second and third lower molars, extending rostrally along the buccal mucosa to the premolars. The left maxillary second and third molars were overgrown with sharp edges. Lateral radiography of the mandible revealed absence of the left third molar, with associated bony irregularity and sclerosis. The horse was positioned in right lateral recumbency under general anesthesia, and the entire mass was resected. It was speculated that the lesion developed secondary to chronic irritation from opposing teeth and food-packing after loss of the lower third molar; this would not be an unexpected development in a species with continuously advancing molars.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8496089/