A newborn came into the world in Nepal with a striking pink mass protruding from her mouth. At just 2 days old, she was referred to specialists because the strange growth was interfering with something essential: feeding at her mother’s breast.
Doctors observed a fleshy mass measuring approximately 2,5 × 2 centimeters, attached to the front right area of the upper gum. Based on its characteristics, they suspected it was a congenital epulis, an extremely rare benign tumor that appears exclusively in newborns.
Its estimated incidence is just 0,0006% and, according to the authors of the report published in 2023, fewer than 250 cases had been described in the medical literature up to that point. It is also much more common in girls than in boys.
Although these tumors are benign and some small ones may even shrink spontaneously, the size of this baby’s mass interfered with her feeding, so the specialists decided to remove it.
On her fifth day of life, the baby underwent surgery under general anesthesia, during which the tumor was completely removed using electrocautery. Subsequent analysis confirmed that it was indeed a congenital epulis.
Her recovery went well. The baby was able to feed again the day after the operation and was discharged four days later.
The final outcome was even more encouraging: six months later, the wound had healed satisfactorily and there were no signs that the tumor had returned.