Mandible & maxilla
Cysts of the jaw
Gingival cyst (newborn)
Last author update: 1 November 2013
Last staff update: 28 September 2023
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PubMed Search: Gingival cyst newborn
Related Topics: Gingival cyst (adult)
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Terminology | Epidemiology | Sites | Pathophysiology | Clinical features | Case reports | Treatment | Clinical images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Morrison A. Gingival cyst (newborn). PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/mandiblemaxillagingivalcyst.html. Accessed April 18th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Occur on palate (interchangeably referred to as palatal cysts of newborn) and along alveolar ridge
Terminology
- Epstein Pearls:
- Originally descripted cysts along medial raphe of palate
- Now used interchangeably for palatal and gingival cysts of newborns
- Bohn Nodules:
- Cysts originating from palatal glands, scattered across hard and soft palate
- Now used interchangeably for palatal and gingival cysts of newborns
- Alveolar Cyst:
- Gingival cysts of newborn occurring along alveolar ridge
Epidemiology
- Gingival cysts of newborn arise after fourth month in utero, during tooth development
- Common, some estimate at least 50% of newborns have gingival cysts that spontaneously resolve
Sites
- Occur along alveolar ridge, while palatal cysts occur along midline of posterior hard palate or anterior soft palate
Pathophysiology
- Arise from epithelial remnants of deeply budding dental lamina after fourth month in utero and are present at birth
Clinical features
- Multiple (usually fewer than six), yellow-white sessile to pearl-like papules, 1 - 4 mm
- Superficial (rupture easily)
- Some resemblance to milia
Case reports
- 7 day old boy with Bohn nodules mistaken for natal teeth (Eur J Pediatr 2014;173:403)
Treatment
- None; spontaneously rupture with cyst lining incorporated into oral mucosa
Clinical images
Images hosted on other servers:
Palatal cyst of newborn
Gingival cyst of newborn
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Small cysts lined with attenuated stratified squamous epithelium, fibrovascular stroma, without inflammatory cells
- Cysts are filled with keratin debris and concentric layers of keratin
Differential diagnosis
- Epidermoid cyst: most common location is floor of mouth, large size
- Congenital eruption cysts around natal teeth
Additional references
