Abstract
Observation: A 44-year-old patient was deferred for consultation for vesicles and whitish papules a few millimeters in diameter on the tongue. Painful inflammatory attacks and phases of mitigation alternated with each other. The clinical test results were all normal. The pathological examination indicated a lymphangiomatous component caused by inflammation. A CO2 laser treatment was successfully initiated. Regular monitoring revealed no recurrence at the 12-month follow-up. Comments: Cystic lymphangioma is an early-stage benign tumor. Their occurrence in adults is rare. The case presented was atypical by the context and appearance of the lesions. The treatment of cystic lymphangioma in the oral cavity is surgical in nature, which consists of a complete removal of the cysts to avoid recurrences. Other treatments can be proposed: laser, sclerotherapy, ablation, and radiofrequency cauterization. Conclusion: Cystic lymphangioma in adults is rare. The malformations are sometimes difficult to diagnose. There is no evidence-based treatment but laser vaporization is an option for microcystic forms.
Highlights
We present the case of a 44-year-old patient with superficial microcystic lymphangioma of the tongue that was difficult to diagnose
Lymphatic malformations can be located in any body part, but they are often found in the head and neck
Three variants have been described for these lymphangiomas [1]: capillary, cavernous, and cystic lymphangioma
Summary
We present the case of a 44-year-old patient with superficial microcystic lymphangioma of the tongue that was difficult to diagnose. Symptomatology began over a year ago with the gradual onset of whitish vesicles and papules that were a few millimeters in diameter. They were limited to the anterior edge of the tongue or its tip (Fig. 1). These inflammatory episodes occurred every 6 weeks and lasted between 24 and 48 h. A first biopsy was carried out highlighting a papillomatous aspect with nonspecific flushing and necrotic inflammatory zones.
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