White Sponge Nevus, a Rare but Important Entity

Abstract

White sponge nevus (WSN) is an uncommon, hereditary benign keratinization defect that primarily affects the oral mucosa and occasionally, though rarely, the skin or other mucosal sites, such as the nose, esophagus and anogenital area. Sporadic cases of vaginal WSN have been reported. In the oral cavity, the buccal mucosa is prominently affected. Lesions have been reported at birth but are more commonly noted later during adolescent years. We present three cases of WSN with a discussion of the clinical appearance and histopathology, along with a brief review of the literature.

Keywords

• white sponge nevus
• leukoplakia
• oral pathology