Dental Care Management of a Young Patient with Extensive Lymphangioma of the Tongue: A Case Report

Abstract

Lymphangiomas are benign tumors resulting from a congenital malformation of the lymphatic system. Relatively uncommon, lymphangiomas are usually diagnosed at birth and develop within the first years of life. When these tumors occur in the oral cavity, the tongue is the most frequently affected site. Lymphangioma of the tongue is a common cause of macroglossia in children, which may lead to a dry/cracked tongue with ulcerating secondary infections, difficulty in swallowing and mastication, speech disturbances, exclusive nasal breathing, airway obstruction, mandibular prognathism and other possible deformities of maxillofacial structures. This paper discusses the most relevant features, clinical manifestations, disease-related impairments and treatment options for lymphangioma of the tongue. It presents the case report of a five-year-old child diagnosed with this lesion, including a description of the patient's dental care management.

Oral manifestations and dental care management of a young patient with lymphangioma of the tongue: A case report.

“…11 Most of the cases are detected since birth and about 80% are developed before the age of 2 years. 12,13 In the present case report, the patient presented a history of an enlarged tongue since the age of five months, the tongue continued to swell, and thereafter caused feeding and breathing but the diagnosis of microcystic lymphangioma of the tongue was confirmed not until the age of two years.…”

“…4 These lesions can be described as localized or diffuse growth. 12 Treatment's objectives of tongue lymphangioma are essentially the restoration of tongue size, the preservation of taste, correction of mandibular and dental deformities. 4 These congenital malformations can be treated with radiofrequency ablation, surgery, sclerotherapy, interferon, and corticosteroids.…”

“…13,17 While the management of diffuse lymphangioma can be more complicated because the lesion can involve a more extensive area which was the case in the present report. 12 Microcystic lesions do not respect tissue planes, are diffuse and generally difficult to eradicate. 16 In the present report, due to the diffuse nature of the lesion, the patient was treated with Sirolimus; 1.5 mg/kg/day administered in two divided daily doses.…”

Lymphangioma of the tongue: report of four cases with dental aspects

“…[7] The precise etiology is still unknown. [8] The classical classification is based on histological appearance and divided into three as follows; lymphangioma simplex (capillary lymphangioma or lymphangioma circumscriptum), cavernous lymphangiomas and cystic lymphangiomas (cystic hygroma). [3] However, histologic classes do not correlate with therapeutic response or clinical behavior.…”

A rare case of oral lymphangioma of tongue

“…1 Most of the cases are present since birth, and about 80% are developed before 2 years of age and are rarely diagnosed in adults. 2 They indicate localized abnormal development of the lymphatic system. Lymphangiomas are classified as microcystic (capillary lymphangiomas), macrocystic (cavernous lymphangiomas) and cystic hygromas according to the size of the lymphatic cavities incorporated.…”