Publication Name	World Journal of Experimental Medicine
Manuscript ID	114368
Country	Uruguay

Category	Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Manuscript Type	Minireviews
Article Title	Multifocal epithelial hyperplasia: Clinical features, diagnosis and management challenges
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Cesar Omar Soto Ramos-Gregorio, Omar Tremillo-Maldonado, Felipe Silveira, Lauren Frenzel Schuch, Vanesa Pereira-Prado, Estefania Sicco, Ana Cristina Soto Najera, Marcelo Gómez Palacio-Gastélum, Mario Isiordia-Espinoza, Juan José Muñoz-Ibarra, Victor Toral-Rizo and Ronell Bologna-Molina
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Ronell Bologna-Molina, PhD, Professor, Department of Diagnostics in Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, University of the Republic, NA, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay. ronellbologna@hotmail.com
Key Words	Multifocal epithelial hyperplasia; Human papillomavirus; Oral lesions; Molecular diagnosis; Indigenous populations; Heck's disease; Epidemiology; Health equity
Core Tip	Multifocal epithelial hyperplasia (MEH), or Heck's disease, is a rare, benign oral mucosal condition linked primarily to low-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 13 and 32. It disproportionately affects marginalized Indigenous American people, especially children and adolescents, driven by factors such as overcrowding and malnutrition. Clinically, MEH manifests as asymptomatic, multiple oral papules or nodules with a distinctive "cobblestone-like" appearance. Diagnosis is enhanced by molecular tools. Although generally self-limiting, improved diagnostic access, targeted vaccines, and tailored public health interventions are crucial for vulnerable communities.
Citation	Ramos-Gregorio CO, Tremillo-Maldonado O, Silveira F, Schuch LF, Pereira-Prado V, Sicco E, Soto-Najera AC, GomezPalacio-Gastélum M, Isiordia-Espinoza M, Muñoz-Ibarra JJ, Toral-Rizo V, Bologna-Molina R. Multifocal epithelial hyperplasia: Clinical features, diagnosis and management challenges. World J Exp Med 2025; In press

Received	2025-09-17 06:25
Peer-Review Started	2025-09-17 06:25
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-09-25 08:39
Return for Revision	2025-09-25 08:39
Revised	2025-10-03 21:00
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2025-12-04 02:35
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-04 03:45
Articles in Press	2025-12-04 03:45
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2220-315x (online)
Open Access	This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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