Abstract for presentation at 13th International Congress on Oral Pathology and Medicine

Central giant-cell granuloma (CGCG) is a benign giant-cell lesion arising within the jawbones. This lesion involves the mandible more frequently than the maxilla. Histologically, it is characterized by the presence of multinucleated giant cell and mononuclear cells within a fibrous stroma, there is not a histological or immunohistochemical feature predictive of its behavior. The pathogenesis of CGCG is not completely understood. The objective of this study was to analyze in detail the histological changes after treatment of CGCG with injections of the steroid triamcinolone. This patient was a 17 year old woman who presented a well define radiolucid lesion in the anterior mandible, teeth were not involved. The treatment consisted of 22 intralesional injections of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:100,000, in a 1/1 solution. After treatment a surgical curettage of the area was performed and the tissue processed for biopsy. Histology showed an almost total disappearance of the giant cells, fibrous collagenic connective tissue and a markedly reactive osteoid formation. The osteoid reaction, which is a consequence to the steroid treatment, could lead to the erroneous diagnosis of osteosarcoma. Intralesional steroid injections are a good alternative treatment for CGCG accompanied by reduction of possible hemorrhagic episode associated with surgery and reduction in size of the lesion without occasional facial disfigurement as consequence to wide surgical procedures.