Ectopic gingival sebaceous glands presenting as localized periodontitis.

The development of ectopic gingival sebaceous glands is a very unusual condition which is histologically similar to Fordyce's granules when they occur within the buccal or labial mucosa. In this report, we present a rare case of ordinarily innocuous, ectopic gingival sebaceous glands, which presented clinically and radiographically as localized advanced periodontitis. Histological and immunocytochemical evaluation of tissue removed from the periodontal lesion following excisional biopsy supported the diagnosis of an ectopic gingival sebaceous defect. This case illustrates the necessity of considering less frequently occurring entities in the differential diagnosis of localized lesions which appear to be periodontal in origin.