Myxomatous Mysteries: Decoding the Oral Focal Mucinosis

Abstract

Oral focal mucinosis (OFM) is a unique benign lesion of the oral cavity with uncertain etiology which is analogous to cutaneous focal mucinosis. It mainly affects women in their fourth and fifth decades of life. The diagnosis of this condition is based on histopathological examination, as it lacks characteristic clinical and radiographic features. Its pathophysiology is associated with fibroblasts producing excessive amounts of hyaluronic acid, which causes localized myxomatous changes. Here, we describe the occurrence of this rare entity in a 54-year-old female patient involving attached gingiva of the left posterior mandibular region along with emphasis on its histopathological and histochemical findings to differentiate it from clinically and microscopically look-alike lesions.