Lipoma of tongue — A rare site for a rare site for a common tumour

Abstract

Lipoma is the commonest benign tumour occurring at any anatomical site where fat is present. In oral cavity and oropharynx it is a relatively uncommon neoplasm.. Tongue which is totally devoid of fat cells is also a site for lipoma albeit very rarely. This is one such rare case of the universal tumour, presenting at the lateral margin of the tongue, for which complete tumour excision was done.

Tongue lipoma in an older male: A case report and literature review of patients with tongue lipoma reported in China

“…Oral lipomas may occur on the major salivary glands, buccal mucosa, lip, palate, vestibule, floor of the mouth and tongue (21). Tongue lipomas are relatively rare and usually arise in the superficial submucosal connective tissue (22). The present study compared the characteristics of 18 cases of tongue lipoma reported in China over a 30-year period.…”

“…Histopathologically benign lipomas are classified as: Lipoma or classical lipoma; lipoma variants, including angiolipoma, angiomyolipoma, myolipoma, fibrolipoma, chondroid lipoma, chondrolipoma, osteolipoma, intramuscular lipoma, myelolipoma, sialolipoma and spindle cell/pleomorphic lipoma; hemartomatous lesions; diffuse lipomatous proliferations; and hibernoma (21)(22)(23). Lipomas may be encapsulated, non-encapsulated or infiltrating (21).…”

“…8). Classical lipoma is the most common Tongue lipoma may present as solitary or multiple lesions, such as hereditary multiple lipomatosis or Gardner's syndrome (22,26). In infants it appears that multiple lesions occur; Berger et al (27) reported 4 lipomas on the tongue of a 9-day-old infant affected with an orofacial-digital syndrome.…”

“…The etiology of lipomas is unknown; however, possible etiologies consist of a lipoblastic embryonic cell nest origin, metaphase of muscle cells, fatty degeneration, genetics, hormones, trauma, infection, chronicirritation and infarction (22). Certain studies suggest that trauma may trigger proliferation of fatty tissue and cause a lipoma (29), but Carlier (30) and Hatziotis (3) hypothesized that trauma contributes to a patient locating a pre-existing lipoma, rather than causing the tumor.…”

Intramuscular lipoma of the tongue: A rare site for a common tumour

“…Lipoblastic embryonic cell nest origin, hormonal cause, infection, fat degeneration, hereditary and chronic irritation have also been attributed [13] .…”