A case of symmetric lipomatosis of the tongue arising in a patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis presenting with macroglossia

Abstract

Symmetric lipomatosis of the tongue (SLT) is a non-epithelial benign tumor with symmetrical adipose hyperplasia in bilateral tongue margins. SLT is a rare disease that is suggested to be associated with abnormalities in fat metabolism. The patient was a 66-year-old male with his history of alcoholic who had a large mass on the bilateral tongue margins. The tumor was resected under general anesthesia. Histopathological findings showed that the adipose tissue lacked a capsule and extended to the muscle tissue. SLT was diagnosed because lipomas with indistinct histopathological boundaries appeared on both sides of the tongue.