A RARE CASE OF ORAL LYMPHOEPITHELIAL CYST IN AN HIV-POSITIVE PATIENT: A TRUE ASSOCIATION OR AN OCCASIONAL FINDING?

Abstract

The relationship between infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and oral lymphoepithelial cyst (OLC) is uncertain. Herein, we presented a rare case of OLC on the tongue in a male patient with HIV. Intraoral examination revealed a yellow nodular lesion with a smooth surface on the tongue's right lateral border measuring 0.8 cm. Medical history revealed that the patient had been diagnosed with HIV 1 month earlier and was being treated with antiretroviral therapy. An excisional biopsy was performed. Histopathologic examination showed a cystic lesion covered by squamous epithelium surrounded by a fibrous capsule containing dense lymphoid infiltrate with prominent germinal centers. The diagnosis was OLC. No evidence of recurrence was observed after 1 year of follow-up. Although rare, OLC can arise in the context of HIV infection. The treatment of choice is conservative surgical removal, and recurrence is uncommon.