Fibroma — ORE Part 1 MCQ

Correct answer: D — Irritation fibroma

The correct answer is **A. Irritation fibroma**. Also termed traumatic fibroma, this is a common reactive fibrous overgrowth caused by chronic local trauma, such as cheek biting, a sharp tooth edge or an ill-fitting prosthesis. In a large clinicopathological series of benign oral and orofacial tumours and tumour-like lesions, irritational fibroma was the most prevalent lesion type and was reported as the commonest benign tumour. Haemangioma is an important vascular lesion but is less frequent overall in this category. Lipoma is common elsewhere in the body but uncommon intraorally. Neurofibroma and granular cell tumour can occur in the mouth but are substantially rarer. The question uses “tumour-like lesion” deliberately: irritation fibroma is reactive rather than a true neoplasm.

Reference: Kovács A, et al. A clinicopathological retrospective epidemiological analysis of benign tumors and tumor-like lesions in the oral and maxillofacial region, diagnosed at the University of Szeged, Department of Oral Medicine (1960–2014). Orvosi Hetilap. 2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30196718/