A Rare Case of Granular Cell Tumour of Tongue in a 13-year-old Girl

Abstract

Granular Cell Tumour (GCT) is a rare benign tumour that usually affects adults in the third to sixth decades, with females being more commonly affected. Here, a rare case of GCT occurring in a 13-year-old child is presented. A young girl presented with a painless swelling on the right-side of her tongue. Her past medical history was unremarkable. Upon examination, a firm, well-defined, non pulsatile, non tender lesion measuring 1×0.8 cm was noted, involving the right lateral border of the tongue. The lesion was excised and sent for histopathological examination. Gross examination revealed a 1×0.8×0.6 cm mass with a grey-white cut surface. Microscopy showed hyperplastic stratified squamous epithelium overlaying a submucosal tumour composed of polygonal cells arranged in sheets. The tumour cells had central small round nuclei with abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and intervening skeletal muscle fibres. No necrosis, atypia, or increased mitosis were observed. Immunohistochemistry showed strong nuclear positivity and bright granular cytoplasmic positivity for S-100, confirming the diagnosis of GCT. The patient was followed-up for 14 months after surgery and reported no recurrences. GCTs typically manifest in older individuals, with the highest prevalence in the fifth and sixth decades of life. However, this case deviates from the norm, being noted in a 13-year-old child. This exceptionally unusual presentation should prompt the inclusion of GCT in the differential diagnosis of tongue neoplasms in paediatric patients as well. Periodic follow-up of these patients is recommended to detect malignant transformations and late recurrences at early stages.