Diagnostic Discussion.

A 44-year-old female was referred to Dr. Daniel Lauer, a periodontist in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., for evaluation of a mildly symptomatic lesion on the palate (Fig. 1) by her dentist, Dr. Jimmy Chen, also of Palm Beach Gardens. The patient reported a history of food-related trauma to her palate four to six weeks before the lesion appeared. She complained of mild irritation in the area, especially on food consumption. Her medical history was non-contributory and she reports no prior history of similar lesions. She is a non-smoker. The lesion appeared slightly “bumpy” on the surface and was slightly reddishto flesh-colored. It measured approximately 1 x 0.4 cm and was roughly rectangular in shape. Slight erythema was noted around the lesion. The lesion was entirely excised and submitted to the University of Florida College of Dentistry Oral Pathology Biopsy Service. The biopsy showed a papillary proliferation of epithelium with significantly thickened keratin with elongated rete ridges and foamy cells in the connective tissue (Fig. 2).