How Important is Histopathology in Management of Benign Lesions of Tongue.

Introduction: Lipomas are amongst the commonest tumors of human body. Approximately 15 to 20% occur in head and neck but oral cavity is an unusual site. They represent 0.15% of all benign intraoral tumors, with most lesions occurring in the buccal mucosa. We report a rare case of intramuscular lipoma of lateral border of tongue. Case report: A 55-year-old female presented with progressive swelling on lateral border of tongue. Complete excision along with healthy margins was done, and histopathology suggested it to be an infiltrating lipoma. Patient had no recurrence in 2 year follow up. Discussion and conclusion: This type of lipoma is rare (<25cases have been reported so far) and only two cases with histopathological documentation could be traced in literature. It has close resemblance to liposarcoma, a malignant tumor with high propensity to recur. Therefore, complete excision with healthy margin is mandatory for this rare clinical entity.