Lipomas of the Submandibular Space: Case Report of a Sialolipoma and Review of Diagnostic Investigations Available

Abstract

This report describes and discusses the radiologic investigations available for the investigation of fatty tumors of the submandibular triangle, with a focus on sialolipomas. A 33-year-old woman presented with a 3-year history of a slowly growing, painless mass in her right submandibular region. She underwent multiple imaging modalities before having a histologic diagnosis of a sialolipoma. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case using ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for investigation of a sialolipoma of the submandibular gland region. Ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration offer a tentative diagnosis of a lipoma without the associated radiation and cost associated with CT and MRI, respectively. CT and MRI offer the definite diagnosis of a lipoma, with MRI depicting better delineation and the ability to identify glandular elements of the tumor. Importantly, the development of sarcomatous change within the lipoma cannot be out ruled at imaging and requires a histologic specimen.