Abstract
Of all the epidermoid cysts encountered throughout the body, only 7% occurs in the head and neck area, with the oral cavity accounting for only 1.6%. Intraorally this benign slow growing and painless entity is usually located in the submandibular, sublingual and submental region. They can cause symptoms of dysphagia and dyspnoea and have a malignant transformation potential. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Described here is a case of gigantic sublingual epidermoid cyst.
Highlights
Epidermoid cysts are benign pathologies that can occur anywhere in the body, predominantly seen in areas where embryonic elements fuse together.1 Most cases have been reported in the ovaries and the testicles (80%), with head and neck accounting for 7% [1,2]
Of all the epidermoid cysts encountered throughout the body, only 7% occurs in the head and neck area, with the oral cavity accounting for only 1.6%
Majority of them occur in sublingual region, but there are rare case reports of occurrence in other sites
Summary
Epidermoid cysts are benign pathologies that can occur anywhere in the body, predominantly seen in areas where embryonic elements fuse together. Most cases have been reported in the ovaries and the testicles (80%), with head and neck accounting for 7% [1,2]. The floor of the mouth revealed a solitary, well circumscribed, distinct, dome shaped sessile midline swelling extending from the lingual aspect of the mucogingival junction of mandibular anterior teeth up to the mandibular molars bilaterally. Ultrasonography showed a well defined submucosal oval mass in floor of mouth in the midline measuring approximately 4.0 × 3.0 cms in diameter with internal echoes. Excision of the swelling under local anesthesia yielded a yellowish white smooth surfaced oval mass of tissue measuring approximately 3 × 2 × 2 cms which was soft in consistency and cystic in nature (Figure 2). Connective tissue showed lymphocytes and multinucleated giant cells with deeper tissue fibrosis and prominent blood vessels (Figures 4 and 5). It was conclusively diagnosed as epidermoid cyst
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