Lymphangioma of tongue-A Case Report

Lymphangioma is a hamartomous benign tumour¹that is characterized by the proliferation of lymphatic vessels due to the congenital malformation of the lymphatic system. This benign tumour can occur anywhere in the body but head and neck being the common site of occurrence. However intraoral lymphangiomas are rare, if occurs it is more common on the dorsal surface of the tongue and the lateral border, and rarely occur in palatal mucosa, buccal mucosa, gingiva and lips². Lymphangiomas of tongue can be associated with difficulty in speech, mastication, chewing and maxillofacial deformities.

Surgical treatment is aimed at providing symptomatic relief; surgical excision remains the treatment of choice. However other treatment modalities like cryosurgery, electrocautery, sclerotherapy, radiation therapy, laser and tissue ablation can also be used³. We hereby present a case of 41 year old male with lymphangioma on the ventrum of the lateral surface of the tongue treated with surgical excision.