The histological nature of epulides in dogs

The histological characteristics of a series of 154 oral tumours with the clinical appearance of epulides in 129 dogs were reviewed. Diagnoses were based on current criteria in human oral pathology and compared with the original diagnoses. The histological findings suggested that the majority of epulides in the dog can be classified as focal fibrous hyperplasia (43·5 per cent), peripheral ameloblastoma (17·5 per cent), peripheral odontogenic fibroma (WHO type) (16·9 per cent) and pyogenic granuloma (1·95 per cent). In addition, a number of other odontogenic tumours (1·95 per cent) and non-odontogenic tumours (18·2 per cent) such as fibrosarcoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which are not traditionally associated with the clinical appearance of an epulis, were diagnosed. Of 74 lesions that were previously diagnosed as fibromatous and ossifying epulides, 50 (68 per cent) were reclassified as focal fibrous hyperplasia and 21 (28 per cent) as peripheral odontogenic fibroma (WHO type). The majority of lesions (76 per cent), which were originally classified as acanthomatous epulis, were found to be peripheral ameloblastoma. In addition, three squamous cell carcinomas, two rare odontogenic tumours and two cases of focal fibrous hyperplasia were diagnosed in this classification. It was concluded that, as in man, the term epulis is a clinically descriptive term and that the real nature of these lesions should be determined histologically.