Firm mass of the tongue

Abstract

A 35year-old white man was referred to the University of Washington oral and maxillofacial surgery service with a firm, painless nodule on the left dorsum of the tongue (Fig 1). The patient had been aware of the lesion for 8 to 10 years during which time the area was completely asymptomatic. There was no history of previous trauma. Examination revealed a 1.0 x O.&m firm, grey-white, sessile nodule in the anterior two thirds of the left dorsum of the tongue, adjacent to the midline. The lesion was hard to palpation and noncompressible.