Leukemic gingival enlargment: a diagnostic challenge

The oral cavity might well be thought of as the window to the body, because oral manifestations accompany many systemic diseases. There is no region in the body in which so many diseases manifest themselves as in the oral cavity. A series of diseases may be unique to the oral cavity and its components; others may involve other parts of the body. However, they localize preferentially and frequently in the mouth. Others having symptomatic significance when localized in the oral cavity appear as a partial manifestation of an acute or chronic general disease and elicit such characteristic oral changes which are of great importance for diagnosis. These oral manifestations must be properly recognized if the patient has to receive appropriate diagnosis, referral and treatment. Oral physicians are credited to be the first detectors of few occult systemic diseases one such entity is Leukemic gingival enlargement.