Lobular capillary hemangioma: the underlying lesion of pyogenic granuloma. A study of 73 cases from the oral and nasal mucous membranes.

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) has a diagnostic, lobular arrangement of capillaries at its base. The lobules consist of discrete clusters of endothelial cells, and the lumina vary from indistinct to prominent. The superficial portions of the lesion may undergo secondary, nonspecific changes including stromal edema, capillary dilation, inflammation, and a granulation tissue reaction. PG has often been equated with these inflammatory changes but objective diagnostic criteria have not been presented. To avoid confusion and focus on the intrinsic nature of PG we suggest the accurate, descriptive term, lobular capillary hemangioma (LCH). A review of 639 vascular lesions of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract yielded 73 cases with the characteristic features of LCH. The lip was the most common site (38%), followed by the nose (29%), oral mucosa (18%), and tongue (15%). LCH usually presents as a spontaneous, painless, bleeding mass. There is a predilection for males less than 18 years old, females in the reproductive years, and an equal sex distribution beyond 40 years of age. No examples of LCH were found in 68 vascular lesions from the larynx or trachea.