What are Fordyce granules? How does it occur ?

• Firstly it isn’t a disease as the name says it.
• Rather this can be called a developmental anomaly.
• It is characterised by heterotopic collection of sebaceous glands in various sites of the oral cavity.
• It is said that the occurance of sebaceous glands in the mouth may be by inclusion in the oral cavity of the ectoderm.
• This has some of the potentialities of skin during the development of the maxillary and the mandibular processes during the embryonic life.

Clinical features-

1.Appearance-

• as yellow spots, seperated
• or forming large plaques
• project slightly above the suface of tissue

2. Site of appearance- found frequently in a bilateral symmetical pattern

• mucosa of cheeks (opposite the molar teeth)
• inner surface of lips
• retromolar region
• tongue
• gingiva
• palate
• frenum

Besides the oral cavity they also appear in the oesophagus ,the female genital tract ,cervix uteri, male genitilia ,nipples, palms ,soles ,parotid ,larynx and the orbit .

3. Usually seen more in adults than children . This is due to the better development of sebaceous glands and hair system is not seen until puberty.

Histology

• These are heterotopic collection of sebaceous glands and they are identical with those that are seen in the skin.
• But they are unassociated with hair follicles and hair shaft from the gingiva. (this may be a very rare occurance )
• Glands are located superficially.
• There may be few or many lobules.
• They are grouped around one duct or more ducts and they open at the surface of the mucosa .
• The ducts may show keratin plugging.

Treatment-

It requires no treatment.

source – textbook of oral pathology shafers and google images .