Oral manifestation of Wegener's granulomatosis

We report a case of Wegener's granulomatosis affecting the gingiva of a 43-year-old female patient. The disease presented as a non-painfull circumscribed hyperplasia of the vestibular gingiva in the maxillary anterior region. In addition to the oral manifestations, the patient was suffering from rhinitis and a cough with expectorations. Upon inspection of the nasal mucosal lining, we found granulomatous changes in this tissue as well. The diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis was later confirmed by histological and serological findings. The patient underwend systemic therapy with immunosuppressive medication which resulted in a complete remission of all parameters. When a patient presents with therapy-resistant, granulomatous changes of the gingiva or alveolar mucosa, the dentist should include Wegener's granulomatosis as a tentative diagnosis. Keywords: Wegener's granulomatosis, strawberry gum, hyperplasia, gingivitis