TRAUMATIC NEUROMA OF THE TONGUE IN A CHILD: CASE REPORT

Abstract

Traumatic neuroma is not considered a true neoplasm, but rather a rare disorder consisting of a reactive proliferation of neural tissue after transection or other damage of an adjacent nerve bundle. Its occurrence in young patients is rarely reported. A 10-year-old female was referred to our stomatology service for oral evaluation. In the intraoral examination we observed a single painless nodular normochromic, irregular surface, sessile, smooth, well delimited on the lateral border of the tongue, measuring 10 x 9 x 5 mm. The clinical diagnosis included focal fibrous hyperplasia, granular cell tumor, and schwannoma. An excisional biopsy was performed under local anesthesia and the histopathological exam revealed keratinized stratified epithelium with intense fibrosis area and proliferation of neural fibers, with the final diagnosis as traumatic neuroma. The case report shows the importance of considering traumatic neuroma in the differential diagnosis of painless tongue swellings in children. Traumatic neuroma is not considered a true neoplasm, but rather a rare disorder consisting of a reactive proliferation of neural tissue after transection or other damage of an adjacent nerve bundle. Its occurrence in young patients is rarely reported. A 10-year-old female was referred to our stomatology service for oral evaluation. In the intraoral examination we observed a single painless nodular normochromic, irregular surface, sessile, smooth, well delimited on the lateral border of the tongue, measuring 10 x 9 x 5 mm. The clinical diagnosis included focal fibrous hyperplasia, granular cell tumor, and schwannoma. An excisional biopsy was performed under local anesthesia and the histopathological exam revealed keratinized stratified epithelium with intense fibrosis area and proliferation of neural fibers, with the final diagnosis as traumatic neuroma. The case report shows the importance of considering traumatic neuroma in the differential diagnosis of painless tongue swellings in children.