Abstract

ROSA, LN et al. Focal epithelial hyperplasia: why Heck's disease?. Av Odontoestomatol [online]. 2003, vol.19, n.5, pp.239-247. ISSN 2340-3152.

The focal epithelial hyperplasia is characterized by the presence of papular and nodular elevations, flat or rough multiple sessiles, with the same color of the mucous membrane (Neville et al., 1998). Estrada (1956) described the presence of intra-oral warts and papillary lesions in Caramantas natives in Colombia, in 1956. IN 1960, the same author identified the presence of the same lesions in Kátios natives, from Colombia. Reyes (1962) noticed the same clinical conditions in Guatemala. Soneira and Fonseca (1964) have described the lesion with its clinical variations, from a single papula to multiple papillary lesions in the oral mucosa, lips, and other oral regions. These authors studied 160 native girls in Venezuela and noticed the disease in 54 of them (33.75%). They also suggest that the disease has a viral etiology. In spite of the fact the disease was described by other Latin American authors before 1965, it was worldwide recognized only in this year, due to Aechard, Heck and Stanley. These authors have reported isolated cases in 15 North American natives in the State of New Mexico; one Xavante in the state of Mato Grosso (Brazil) and a Eskimo boy in Alaska, and named the disease as Focal Epithelial Hyperplasia. The eponym "Heck Disease" is derived from Dr. Heck, who identified one patient with this disease in Gallup, New Mexico in 1961. Praetorius-Clausen and WiIlis (1971) were the first to show HPV particles in the focal epithelial hyperplasia. Concerning the publishing prior to Archard, Heck and Stanley (1965), the authors suggest to discard that the eponym "Heck Disease", since this denomination does not add any relation to the nature and characteristics of the disease, and also does not recognize the authors who had described it before 1965. The authors also report a focal epithelial hyperplasia in a male 13 year old patient, leukoderma.

Keywords : HPV; focal epithelial hyperplasia.

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